,i  #aah? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #dgac  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,july #ah1 #bjbc,mr4  
,jackson ( ,texas 7= himself1 ,mr4      
,kilm]1 ,mr4 ,z9ke1 ,ms4 ,tokuda1 ,mrs4 
,boeb]t1 ,ms4 ,sewell1 ,mr4 ,arr+ton1   
,ms4 ,ku/]1 ,mr4 ,mann1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,mr4
 ,sessions1 ,ms4 ,pett]s51 ,mr4 ,c>l1   
,mr4 ,l>s5 ( ,wa%+ton1 ,mr4 ,la,malfa1  
,ms4 ,s*ri]1 ,ms4 ,p]ez1 ,ms4 ,hoyle (  
,oregon1 ,ms4 ,budz9ski1 ,mr4 ,davis (  
,nor? ,c>ol9a1 ,mr4 ,s*iff1 ,mr4        
,pflug]1 ,mr4 ,trone1 & ,mrs4 ,mill] (  
,we/ ,virg9ia7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to codify !   
,rural ,hospital ,te*nical ,assi/ance   
,program ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture4  
#a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z 
! ,rural ,hospital ,te*nical ,assi/ance 
,program ,act4  #b4 ,codification ( !   
,rural ,hospital ,te*nical ,assi/ance   
,program ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture   
7a7 ,9 g5]al ,9 lieu ( any o!r au?ority 
"u :i* ! ,secret>y ( ,agriculture 79 ?is

 section ref]r$ to z ! ,secret>y7 may   
provide te*nical assi/ance to any       
eligible rural hospital facility1 !     
,secret>y %all e/abli%1 & ma9ta91       
directly or by grant1 contract1 or      
coop]ative agreem5t1 a ,rural ,hospital 
,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program 79 ?is    
section ref]r$ to z ! ,program7 to      
provide te*nical assi/ance & tra9+1     
tailor$ to ! capacity & ne$s ( ea*      
eligible hospital facility1 to help     
eligible hospital facilities 9 rural    
areas ) a population ( n m ?an #ej1jjj  
inhabitants--  7#a7 id5tify developm5t  
ne$s = ma9ta9+ ess5tial heal? c>e       
s]vices1 & support action plans =       
f9ancial1 op]ational1 & quality         
improvem5t projects to meet ! developm5t
 ne$s2  7#b7 bett] manage _! f9ancial & 
bus9ess /rategies2 &  7#c7 id5tify1 &   
apply = assi/ance f1 loan & grant       
programs ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture = 
:i* ! facilities are eligible4  7b7     
,goals ,! goals ( ! ,program %all be    
to--  7#a7 improve ! long-t]m f9ancial  

position & op]ational effici5cy (       
eligible rural hospital facilities2     
7#b7 prev5t ! closure ( eligible rural  
hospital facilities2  7#c7 /r5g!n !     
deliv]y ( heal? c>e 9 rural areas2 &    
7#d7 help eligible rural hospital       
facilities bett] access & compete =     
loans & grants f programs adm9i/]$ by ! 
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture4  7c7          
,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7        
,developm5t ne$s ,! t]m developm5t ne$s 
includes--  7,a7 con/ruct+1 exp&+1      
r5ovat+ or o!rwise mod]niz+ heal? c>e   
facilities2  7,b7 increas+ teleheal?    
capabilities2  7,c7 acquir+ or upgrad+  
heal? c>e in=mation sy/ems su* z        
electronic heal? records2 &  7,d7 su*   
o!r ne$s z ! ,secret>y deems critical to
 ma9ta9+ heal? c>e s]vices 9 ! community
 9 :i* an eligible rural hospital       
facility is locat$4  7#b7 ,eligible     
hospital facility ,! t]m eligible       
hospital facility means a facility t    
is-- 7,a7 7i7 a hospital 7z def9$ 9     
section #ahfa7;e7 ( ! ,social ,security 

,act72  7ii7 a psy*iatric hospital 7z   
def9$ 9 section #ahfa7;f7 ( su* ,act72  
7iii7 a long-t]m c>e hospital 7z def9$ 9
 section #ahfa7;ccc7 ( su* ,act72  7iv7 
a critical access hospital 7z def9$ 9   
section #ahfa7mm77#a7 ( su* ,act72  7v7 
a religi\s nonm$ical heal? c>e          
in/itution 7z def9$ 9 section           
#ahfa7ss77#a7 ( su* ,act72  7vi7 a rural
 heal? cl9ic 7z def9$ 9 section         
#ahfa7;aa77#b7 ( su* ,act72  7vii7 a    
sole community hospital 7z def9$ 9      
section #ahhf7;d77#e77;,c77iii7 ( su*   
,act72  7viii7 a rural em]g5cy hospital 
7z def9$ 9 section #ahfa7kkk77#b7 ( su* 
,act72  7ix7 a community heal? c5t] 7z  
def9$ 9 section #ccj ( ! ,public ,heal? 
,s]vice ,act72 or  7x7 any o!r rural    
hospital z det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y (     
,agriculture 9 consultation ) !         
,secret>y ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? &      
,human ,s]vices2 &  7,b7 locat$ 9 a     
rural area4  7#c7 ,rural area ,! t]m    
rural area has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9     
section #cdc7;a77#ac77;,a7 ( !          

,consolidat$ ,f>m & ,rural ,developm5t  
,act4  7#d7 ,heal? pr(essional %ortage  
area ,! t]m heal? pr(essional %ortage   
area has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 section   
#ccb7;a77#a77;,a7 ( ! ,public ,heal?    
,s]vice ,act74  7#e7 ,m$ically und]s]v$ 
area ,! t]m m$ically und]s]v$ area has !
 mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 section             
#ccj;,i7a77#e7 ( ! ,public ,heal?       
,s]vice ,act4  7#f7 ,m$ically und]s]v$  
population ,! t]m m$ically und]s]v$     
population has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9     
section #ccj7;b77#c7 ( ! ,public ,heal? 
,s]vice ,act4  7d7 ,program p>ticipation
  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y %all engage
 9 outrea* & engagem5t /rategies to     
enc\rage eligible hospital facilities to
 p>ticipate 9 ! ,program4  7#b7         
,hospital selection ,9 select+ eligible 
hospital facilities to p>ticipate 9 !   
,program1 ! ,secret>y %all give priority
 to borr[]s & grantees ( ! ,rural ,h\s+ 
,s]vice1 ,rural ,bus9ess-,coop]ative    
,s]vice1 & ,rural ,utilities ,s]vice4 ,!
 ,secret>y may also consid]--  7,a7 !   

age & physical /ate ( ! hospital or     
cl9ic facilities involv$2  7,b7 !       
f9ancial vuln]ability ( ! hospital or   
cl9ic facilities1 & ! ability ( !       
hospital or cl9ic facilities to meet    
debt obligations2  7,c7 ! electronic    
heal? record implem5tation ne$s ( !     
hospital or cl9ic facilities2  7,d7 :e!r
 ! hospital or cl9ic is locat$ 9 a heal?
 pr(essional %ortage area or a m$ically 
und]s]v$ area2  7,e7 :e!r ! hospital    
s]ves a m$ically und]s]v$ population2 & 
7,f7 su* o!r crit]ia & priorities z are 
det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4  7e7 ,report+   
requirem5ts ,n lat] ?an #a ye> aft] !   
date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is section1 &      
annually !reaft]1 ! ,secret>y %all      
submit to ! ,committee on ,agriculture (
 ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives & !          
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
& ,=e/ry ( ! ,s5ate a writt5 report     
describ+ ! progress & results ( !       
program conduct$ "u ?is section1 :i*    
%\ld include-- 7#a7 a brief description 
( ea* project to provide te*nical       

assi/ance to an eligible hospital       
facility "u ?is section1 includ+--  7,a7
 ! "n & location ( ! facility2  7,b7 a  
description ( ! assi/ance provid$2  7,c7
 a description ( ! outcomes = complet$  
projects2  7,d7 ! co/ ( ! te*nical      
assi/ance2 &  7,e7 any o!r in=mation !  
,secret>y deems appropriate2  7#b7 a    
summ>y ( ! te*nical assi/ance projects  
complet$2  7#c7 a summ>y ( ! outcomes ( 
! te*nical assi/ance projects2  7#d7 an 
assessm5t ( ! effectiv5ess ( ! ,program2
 &  7#e7 recomm5dations = improv+ !     
,program4  7f7 ,limitations on          
au?orization ( appropriations ,to c>ry  
out ?is section1 !re are au?oriz$ to be 
appropriat$ to ! ,secret>y n m ?an      
#b1jjj1jjj = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjbd    
?r\gh #bjbh4