,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjhe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bg1  
#bjba,mr4 ,inhofe 7for himself and ,mr4 
,lankford7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill
  ,to assist in the transition of a     
certain hospital to a ,medicare rural   
emergency hospital1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,helping ,account   
for ,rural ,medical ,outpatient ,needs  
in ,oklahoma ,act or the ,,harmon       
,oklahoma ,act4  #b4 ,assistance in the 
transition of a certain hospital to a   
,medicare rural emergency hospital  7a7 
,special rule ,in the case of a critical
 access hospital 7as defined in section 
#ahfa7mm7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7mm777 with a      
,centers for ,medicare  ,medicaid       
,services certification number of       
#cgacch1 the following shall apply3 7#a7
 ,pursuant to the ,june #aa1 #bjba1     

,centers for ,medicare  ,medicaid       
,services letter sent to the critical   
access hospital-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of
 ,health and ,human ,services 7referred 
to in this section as the ,secretary7   
shall suspend the running of the        
twenty-four month extension mentioned in
 the ,october #ae1 #bjai1 letter to the 
hospital during the ,,covid-#ai public  
health emergency2 and  7,b7 the hospital
 shall have #ai4g months after the end  
of the ,,covid-#ai public health        
emergency to notify the ,centers for    
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services of the   
hospital's intent to either convert to  
an acute care hospital1 transition to a 
rural emergency hospital under section  
#ahfa7kkk7 of the ,social ,security ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7kkk77 7if the    
hospital qualifies as such71 or         
terminate as a critical access hospital4
  7#b7 ,prior to the end of the #ai4g   
months described in paragraph 7#a77;,b71
 the ,secretary shall not take an       
adverse redesignation action with       

respect to the critical access hospital 
status of the hospital as long as the   
hospital continues to meet all of the   
requirements for designation as a       
critical access hospital other than the 
distance requirement under section      
#ahbj7;c77#b77;,b77i7 of such ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#d7;c77#b77;,b77i774  
7#c7 ,if1 prior to the end of the #ai4g 
months described in paragraph 7#a77;,b71
 the critical access hospital notifies  
the ,secretary of the hospital's        
intention to transition to a rural      
emergency hospital1 the ,secretary--    
7,a7 shall give priority to the         
processing of the request for such      
transition2 and  7,b7 shall not take an 
adverse redesignation action with       
respect to the critical access hospital 
status of the hospital prior to the     
later of-- 7i7 the end of the #ai4g     
months described in paragraph 7#a77;,b72
 or  7ii7 the date the ,secretary makes 
a final determination with respect to   
such request4  7b7 ,timeline for        

regulations  7#a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 not later than  
,july #a1 #bjbb1 promulgate a proposed  
rule to carry out the provisions of1 and
 amendments made by1 section #abe of    
division ,,cc of the ,consolidated      
,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public    
,law #aaf-bfj72 and  7,b7 not later than
 ,november #a1 #bjbb1 promulgate a final
 rule to carry out such provisions and  
amendments4  7#b7 ,additional           
information ,the ,secretary shall ensure
 that the proposed and final rules      
required under paragraph 7#a7 contain a 
description of the additional           
information that will be required under 
section #ahfa7kkk77#d7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7kkk77#d774