,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ggei  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bc1 #bjbj,mr4 
,smith of ,missouri 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,mc,kinley1 ,mrs4 ,miller1 ,mr4 ,long1  
,mr4 ,armstrong1 ,mr4 ,westerman1 ,mr4  
,david ,p4 ,roe of ,tennessee1 and ,mr4 
,fortenberry7 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 authorize the 
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services to forgive the repayment1     
extend the timeline of repayment1 and   
lower the interest rate of ,medicare    
hospital accelerated payments made      
during the ,,covid-#ai public health    
emergency1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,saving ,rural ,hospitals from      
,closure ,act4  #b4 ,authorizing the    
forgiveness of repayment1 extension of  
repayment1 and lowering of interest rate
 of ,medicare hospital accelerated      

payments made during the ,,covid-#ai    
public health emergency ,section #ahae  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;g7 is amended-- 7#a7 in 
subsection 7d71 by inserting subject to 
subsection 7f77#e71 after               
determination12 and  7#b7 in subsection 
7f77#b7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by 
inserting subject to paragraph 7#e71    
before the ,secretary2 and  7,b7 by     
adding at the end the following new     
paragraph3  7#e7 7,a7 ,upon the request 
of a hospital1 the ,secretary may       
forgive the repayment1 extend the       
timeline of repayment described in      
subparagraph 7,c77i71 and lower the     
interest rate of any accelerated payment
 within #cj days of receiving such      
request if such a hospital experiences  
significant financial hardship4  7,b7   
,for purposes of subparagraph 7,a71     
significant financial hardship means1   
with respect to a hospital1 the         
existence of a serious chance of        
closure1 impending bankruptcy1          

large-scale layoffs1 or any other       
situation the ,secretary determines     
appropriate4  4