,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eeca  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ah1 #bjad
 ,mr4 ,cartwright 7for himself and ,mr4 
,marino7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,ways and ,means  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend  
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  
,act to permit the #b-year phase-in for 
changes in hospital wage index          
classification from rural to urban      
without requiring waiver of a wage index
 increase1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,permitting #b-year phase-in of hospital
 wage index reclassification from rural 
to urban without requiring waiver of    
wage index increase ,section            
#ahhf7;d77#ac77;,g7 of the ,social      
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acieww7d77#ac77;,g77 is amended--  7#a7
 by striking 7,g7 ,a hospital and       
inserting 7,g77i7 ,except as provided in
 clause 7ii71 a hospital2 and  7#b7 by  
adding at the end the following new     
clause3  7ii7 ,in the case of any       

hospital which is located in an area    
which1 at any time after ,september #cj1
 #bjad1 is reclassified from a rural to 
an urban area1 such hospital shall not  
be required to waive the application of 
a wage index increase under this        
paragraph in order to be eligible for   
reclassification under paragraph        
7#h77;,e7 7related to treating hospitals
 as being located in a rural area7 for  
the first two fiscal years for which the
 reclassification from rural to urban is
 effective4 ,the ,secretary shall treat 
any hospital described in this clause   
that reclassifies as rural under        
paragraph 7#h77;,e7 during such two     
fiscal years as not having waived the   
application of the wage index increase  
under this paragraph4  4