[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5312-S5314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 344, S. 2278.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2278) to amend the Public Health Service Act to
provide grants to improve health care in rural areas.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee
[[Page S5313]]
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, with an amendment, as
follows:
(The part of the bill intended to be stricken is shown in boldface
brackets and the part of the bill intended to be inserted is shown in
italic.)
S. 2278
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``State Offices of Rural
Health Reauthorization Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.
Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254r) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 338J. GRANTS TO STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
(established under section 711 of the Social Security Act),
shall make grants to each State Office of Rural Health for
the purpose of improving health care in rural areas.
``(b) Requirement of Matching Funds.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State
office of rural health involved agrees, with respect to the
costs to be incurred in carrying out the purpose described in
such subsection, to provide non-Federal contributions toward
such costs in an amount equal to $3 for each $1 of Federal
funds provided in the grant.
``(2) Waiver or reduction.--The Secretary may waive or
reduce the non-Federal contribution if the Secretary
determines that requiring matching funds would limit the
State office of rural health's ability to carry out the
purpose described in subsection (a).
``(3) Determination of amount of non-federal
contribution.--Non-Federal contributions required in
paragraph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated,
including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by
the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to
any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be
included in determining the amount of such non-Federal
contributions.
``(c) Certain Required Activities.--Recipients of a grant
under subsection (a) shall use the grant funds for purposes
of--
``(1) maintaining within the State office of rural health a
clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information
on--
``(A) rural health care issues;
``(B) research findings relating to rural health care; and
``(C) innovative approaches to the delivery of health care
in rural areas;
``(2) coordinating the activities carried out in the State
that relate to rural health care, including providing
coordination for the purpose of avoiding redundancy in such
activities; and
``(3) identifying Federal and State programs regarding
rural health, and providing technical assistance to public
and nonprofit private entities regarding participation in
such programs.
``(d) Requirement Regarding Annual Budget for Office.--The
Secretary may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless
the State involved agrees that, for any fiscal year for which
the State office of rural health receives such a grant, the
office operated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section
will be provided with an annual budget of not less than
$150,000.
``(e) Certain Uses of Funds.--
``(1) Restrictions.--The Secretary may not make a grant
under subsection (a) unless the State office of rural health
involved agrees that the grant will not be expended--
``(A) to provide health care (including providing cash
payments regarding such care);
``(B) to conduct activities for which Federal funds are
expended--
``(i) within the State to provide technical and other
nonfinancial assistance under section 330A(f);
``(ii) under a memorandum of agreement entered into with
the State office of rural health under section 330A(h); or
``(iii) under a grant under section 338I;
``(C) to purchase medical equipment, to purchase
ambulances, aircraft, or other vehicles, or to purchase major
communications equipment;
``(D) to purchase or improve real property; or
``(E) to carry out any activity regarding a certificate of
need.
``(2) Authorities.--Activities for which a State office of
rural health may expend a grant under subsection (a)
include--
``(A) paying the costs of maintaining an office of rural
health for purposes of subsection (a);
``(B) subject to paragraph (1)(B)(iii), paying the costs of
any activity carried out with respect to recruiting and
retaining health professionals to serve in rural areas of the
State; and
``(C) providing grants and contracts to public and
nonprofit private entities to carry out activities authorized
in this section.
``(3) Limit on indirect costs.--The Secretary may impose a
limit of no more than 15 percent on indirect costs claimed by
the recipient of the grant.
``(f) Reports.--The Secretary may not make a grant under
subsection (a) unless the State office of rural health
involved agrees--
``(1) to submit to the Secretary reports or performance
data containing such information as the Secretary may require
regarding activities carried out under this section; and
``(2) to submit such a report or performance data not later
than September 30 of each fiscal year immediately following
any fiscal year for which the State office of rural health
has received such a grant.
``(g) Requirement of Application.--The Secretary may not
make a grant under subsection (a) unless an application for
the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application
is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such
agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary
determines to be necessary to carry out such subsection.
``(h) Noncompliance.--The Secretary may not make payments
under subsection (a) to a State office of rural health for
any fiscal year subsequent to the first fiscal year of such
payments unless the Secretary determines that, for the
immediately preceding fiscal year, the State office of rural
health has complied with each of the agreements made by the
State office of rural health under this section.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--For the purpose of making grants under
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated [such
sums as may be necessary] $12,500,000 for each of fiscal
years 2018 through 2022.
``(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under paragraph
(1) shall remain available until expended.''.
Mr. ROUNDS. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a
third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
The bill (S. 2278), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 2278
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``State Offices of Rural
Health Reauthorization Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.
Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254r) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 338J. GRANTS TO STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
(established under section 711 of the Social Security Act),
shall make grants to each State Office of Rural Health for
the purpose of improving health care in rural areas.
``(b) Requirement of Matching Funds.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State
office of rural health involved agrees, with respect to the
costs to be incurred in carrying out the purpose described in
such subsection, to provide non-Federal contributions toward
such costs in an amount equal to $3 for each $1 of Federal
funds provided in the grant.
``(2) Waiver or reduction.--The Secretary may waive or
reduce the non-Federal contribution if the Secretary
determines that requiring matching funds would limit the
State office of rural health's ability to carry out the
purpose described in subsection (a).
``(3) Determination of amount of non-federal
contribution.--Non-Federal contributions required in
paragraph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated,
including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by
the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to
any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be
included in determining the amount of such non-Federal
contributions.
``(c) Certain Required Activities.--Recipients of a grant
under subsection (a) shall use the grant funds for purposes
of--
``(1) maintaining within the State office of rural health a
clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information
on--
``(A) rural health care issues;
``(B) research findings relating to rural health care; and
``(C) innovative approaches to the delivery of health care
in rural areas;
``(2) coordinating the activities carried out in the State
that relate to rural health care, including providing
coordination for the purpose of avoiding redundancy in such
activities; and
``(3) identifying Federal and State programs regarding
rural health, and providing technical assistance to public
and nonprofit private entities regarding participation in
such programs.
``(d) Requirement Regarding Annual Budget for Office.--The
Secretary may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless
the State involved agrees that, for any fiscal year for which
the State office of rural health receives such a grant, the
office operated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section
will be provided with an annual budget of not less than
$150,000.
``(e) Certain Uses of Funds.--
``(1) Restrictions.--The Secretary may not make a grant
under subsection (a) unless
[[Page S5314]]
the State office of rural health involved agrees that the
grant will not be expended--
``(A) to provide health care (including providing cash
payments regarding such care);
``(B) to conduct activities for which Federal funds are
expended--
``(i) within the State to provide technical and other
nonfinancial assistance under section 330A(f);
``(ii) under a memorandum of agreement entered into with
the State office of rural health under section 330A(h); or
``(iii) under a grant under section 338I;
``(C) to purchase medical equipment, to purchase
ambulances, aircraft, or other vehicles, or to purchase major
communications equipment;
``(D) to purchase or improve real property; or
``(E) to carry out any activity regarding a certificate of
need.
``(2) Authorities.--Activities for which a State office of
rural health may expend a grant under subsection (a)
include--
``(A) paying the costs of maintaining an office of rural
health for purposes of subsection (a);
``(B) subject to paragraph (1)(B)(iii), paying the costs of
any activity carried out with respect to recruiting and
retaining health professionals to serve in rural areas of the
State; and
``(C) providing grants and contracts to public and
nonprofit private entities to carry out activities authorized
in this section.
``(3) Limit on indirect costs.--The Secretary may impose a
limit of no more than 15 percent on indirect costs claimed by
the recipient of the grant.
``(f) Reports.--The Secretary may not make a grant under
subsection (a) unless the State office of rural health
involved agrees--
``(1) to submit to the Secretary reports or performance
data containing such information as the Secretary may require
regarding activities carried out under this section; and
``(2) to submit such a report or performance data not later
than September 30 of each fiscal year immediately following
any fiscal year for which the State office of rural health
has received such a grant.
``(g) Requirement of Application.--The Secretary may not
make a grant under subsection (a) unless an application for
the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application
is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such
agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary
determines to be necessary to carry out such subsection.
``(h) Noncompliance.--The Secretary may not make payments
under subsection (a) to a State office of rural health for
any fiscal year subsequent to the first fiscal year of such
payments unless the Secretary determines that, for the
immediately preceding fiscal year, the State office of rural
health has complied with each of the agreements made by the
State office of rural health under this section.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--For the purpose of making grants under
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated
$12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
``(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under paragraph
(1) shall remain available until expended.''.
Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rounds). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
____________________