[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 95 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 114. Mr. KENNEDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 3746, to provide for a responsible increase to the
debt ceiling; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. _. HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS.
Section 2718(e) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300gg-18(e)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Each hospital'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--Each hospital'';
(2) by inserting ``, in accordance with paragraph (2)'',
after ``for each year''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Timing requirements.--
``(A) In general.--Each hospital operating in the United
States on the date of enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 2023 shall, not later than 6 months after such date of
enactment and every year thereafter, establish (and update)
and make public the list under paragraph (1).
``(B) Newly operating hospitals.--In the case of a hospital
that begins operating in the United States after the date of
enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, the
hospital shall comply with the requirements described in
subparagraph (A) not later than 6 months after the date on
which the hospital begins such operation and every year
thereafter.
``(3) Prohibition on shielding information.--No hospital
may shield the information required under paragraph (1) from
online search results through webpage coding.
``(4) Civil monetary penalties.--
``(A) In general.--A hospital that fails to comply with the
requirements of this subsection for a year shall be subject
to a civil monetary penalty of an amount not to exceed--
``(i) in the case of a hospital with a bed count of 30 or
fewer, $600 for each day in which the hospital fails to
comply with such requirements;
``(ii) in the case of a hospital with a bed count that is
greater than 30 and equal to or fewer than 550, $20 per bed
for each day in which the hospital fails to comply with such
requirements; or
``(iii) in the case of a hospital with a bed count that is
greater than 550, $11,000 for each day in which the hospital
fails to comply with such requirements.
``(B) Procedures.--
``(i) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, a civil monetary penalty under subparagraph (A)
shall be imposed and collected in accordance with part 180 of
title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor
regulations).
``(ii) Timing.--A hospital shall pay in full a civil
monetary penalty imposed on the hospital under subparagraph
(A) not later than--
``(I) 60 calendar days after the date on which the
Secretary issues a notice of the imposition of such penalty;
or
``(II) in the event the hospital requests a hearing
pursuant to subpart D of part 180 of title 45, Code of
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), 60 calendar
days after the date of a final and binding decision in
accordance with such subpart, to uphold, in whole or in part,
the civil monetary penalty.
``(5) List of hospitals not in compliance.--The Secretary
shall publish a list of the name of each hospital that is not
in compliance with the requirements under this subsection.
Such list shall be published 280 days after the date of
enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and every
180 days thereafter.''.
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