,i  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #adag  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #ah1         
#bjbe,mr4 ,jackson ( ,texas 7= himself &
 ,ms4 ,tokuda7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to exp& &     
codify ! ,rural ,hospital ,te*nical     
,assi/ance ,program ( ! ,dep>tm5t (     
,agriculture & r5ame x z ! ,rural ,heal?
 ,c>e ,facility ,te*nical ,assi/ance    
,program4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may
 be cit$ z ! ,rural ,heal? ,c>e         
,facility ,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program 
,act4  #b4 ,expansion & codification ( !
 rural heal? c>e facility 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 heal? c>e     
facility1 ! ,secret>y %all e/abli%1 &   
ma9ta91 directly or by grant1 contract1 
or coop]ative agreem5t1 a ,rural ,heal? 

,c>e ,facility ,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$s ( 
ea* eligible heal? c>e facility1 to help
 eligible heal? c>e facilities 9 rural  
areas-- 7#a7 id5tify developm5t ne$s =  
ma9ta9+ ess5tial heal? c>e s]vices1 &   
support action plans = op]ational &     
quality improvem5t projects to meet !   
developm5t ne$s2  7#b7 bett] manage _!  
f9ancial & bus9ess /rategies1 includ+   
provid+ f9ancial plann+ assi/ance &     
prep>+ long-t]m f9ancial plans2 &  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 heal? c>e        
facilities2  7#b7 prev5t ! closure (    
eligible heal? c>e facilities2  7#c7    
/r5g!n ! deliv]y ( heal? c>e 9 rural    
areas2  7#d7 help eligible rural heal?  

c>e facilities bett] access & compete = 
loans & grants f programs adm9i/]$ by ! 
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture2 &  7#e7       
cont9ue ! activities ( ! ,rural         
,hospital ,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program 
9 effect z ( ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is  
subsection4  7c7 ,program p>ticipation  
7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y %all engage 9
 outrea* & engagem5t /rategies to       
enc\rage eligible heal? c>e facilities  
to p>ticipate 9 ! ,program4  7#b7       
,eligible heal? c>e facility selection  
,9 select+ eligible heal? c>e 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 ( ! heal? c>e facility involv$2   
7,b7 ! f9ancial vuln]ability ( !        
eligible heal? c>e facility1 & ! ability
 ( ! eligible heal? c>e facility to meet
 debt obligations2  7,c7 ! electronic   
heal? record implem5tation ne$s ( !     

heal? c>e facility2  7,d7 :e!r !        
eligible heal? c>e facility is locat$ 9 
a heal? pr(essional %ortage area or a   
m$ically und]s]v$ area2  7,e7 :e!r !    
eligible heal? c>e facility s]ves a     
m$ically und]s]v$ population2 &  7,f7   
su* o!r crit]ia & priorities z are      
det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4  7d7 ,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 heal? c>e      
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$2  7#c7 a summ>y ( ! outcomes ( 
! te*nical assi/ance projects2  7#d7 an 
assessm5t ( ! effectiv5ess ( ! ,program2
 &  7#e7 recomm5dations = improv+ !     
,program4  7e7 ,limitations on          
au?orization ( appropriations ,to c>ry  
out ?is section1 !re are au?oriz$ to be 
appropriat$ to ! ,secret>y n m ?an      
#b1jjj1jjj = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjbf    
?r\gh #bjcj4  7f7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is    
section3 7#a7 ,rural area ,! t]m rural  
area has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9 section   
#cdc7;a77#ac77;,a7 ( ! ,consolidat$ ,f>m
 & ,rural ,developm5t ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4
 #aiia7;a77#ac77;,a774  7#b7 ,developm5t
 ne$s ,! t]m developm5t ne$s includes-- 
7,a7 con/ruct+1 exp&+1 r5ovat+1 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 provid+ f9ancial plann+  

assi/ance & prep>+ long-t]m f9ancial    
plan2 &  7,e7 su* o!r ne$s z ! ,secret>y
 deems critical to ma9ta9+ heal? c>e    
s]vices 9 ! community 9 :i* an eligible 
heal? c>e facility is locat$4  7#c7     
,eligible heal? c>e facility ,! t]m     
eligible heal? c>e facility means a     
facility t is locat$ 9 a rural area &   
is-- 7,a7 a hospital 7z def9$ 9 section 
#ahfa7;e7 ( ! ,social ,security ,act72  
7,b7 a psy*iatric hospital 7z def9$ 9   
section #ahfa7;f7 ( su* ,act72  7,c7 a  
long-t]m c>e hospital 7z def9$ 9 section
 #ahfa7;ccc7 ( su* ,act72  7,d7 a       
critical access hospital 7z def9$ 9     
section #ahfa7mm77#a7 ( su* ,act72  7,e7
 a rural heal? cl9ic 7z def9$ 9 section 
#ahfa7;aa77#b7 ( su* ,act72  7,f7 a     
religi\s nonm$ical heal? c>e in/itution 
7z def9$ 9 section #ahfa7ss77#a7 ( su*  
,act72  7,g7 a sole community hospital  
7z def9$ 9 section                      
#ahhf7;d77#e77;,c77iii7 ( su* ,act72    
7,h7 a rural em]g5cy hospital 7z def9$ 9
 section #ahfa7kkk77#b7 ( su* ,act72    

7,i7 a home heal? ag5cy 7z def9$ 9      
section #ahfa7o7 ( su* ,act72 or  7,j7 a
 community heal? c5t] 7z def9$ 9 section
 #ccj ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act74 
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 ,act4  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