,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cjfc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bi1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,figures 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,jack1 and 
,ms4 ,sewell7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,service ,act to authorize the          
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services to make grants to assist rural
 hospitals1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,rural ,hospital ,stabilization    
,act of #bjbe 4  #b4 ,grants to assist  
rural hospitals ,the ,public ,health    
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bja et    
seq47 is amended by inserting after     
section #ccj;,a-#b 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#bed;c-#a;b7 the following3  #ccj;,a-#c4
 ,grants to assist rural hospitals  7a7 
,authority ,to make grants ,the         
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,office of ,rural ,health       
,policy of the ,health ,resources and   

,services ,administration1 may make     
grants under this section to rural      
hospitals-- 7#a7 for projects to        
acquire1 repair1 and upgrade the        
systems1 facilities1 and equipment of   
rural hospitals2 and  7#b7 to provide   
financial assistance to be used toward  
the operational costs of rural          
hospitals1 including payroll expenses   
7except payroll expenses associated with
 hospital leadership positions7 and debt
 payments4  7b7 ,applications ,to be    
eligible to receive a grant under this  
section1 a rural hospital shall submit  
to the ,secretary an application1 at    
such time1 in such manner1 and          
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require1 including--     
7#a7 a description of the projects and  
expenses that will receive funding under
 the grant2  7#b7 a description of the  
manner in which the projects and        
expenses funded under the grant will    
address the financial needs of the      
hospital2  7#c7 a description of how the

 projects and expenses funded under the 
grant will help ensure that residents of
 rural areas maintain access to hospital
 services2  7#d7 a plan for sustaining  
projects and covering expenses at the   
hospital after ,federal support under   
this section has ended2 and  7#e7 such  
other information as the ,secretary     
determines to be appropriate4  7c7      
,maximum aggregate grant amount ,a rural
 hospital may receive not more that     
#e1jjj1jjj1 in the aggregate1 in grant  
funds under this section for any        
five-year period4  7d7 ,maintenance of  
effort ,funds made available under this 
section shall be used to supplement and 
not supplant other ,federal1 ,state1    
local1 and ,tribal funds available for  
the grant purposes described in         
subsection 7a74  7e7 ,report to         
,congress ,not later than #ah months    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 the     

,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives1 the ,committee on 
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions of the ,senate1 and the       
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry of the ,senate a report on
 the activities and outcomes of the     
grant program carried out under this    
section1 including the impact of        
projects funded under this section on   
improving the financial viability of the
 grant recipients and ensuring that     
residents of rural areas maintain access
 to hospital services4  7f7 ,definitions
 ,in this section3 7#a7 ,rural hospital 
,the term rural hospital means a        
hospital that is located at least #ae   
miles from the nearest hospital and at  
least #bj miles from the nearest        
urbanized area 7as defined by the       
,bureau of the ,census74 ,such term     
includes public and private hospitals4  
7#b7 ,hospital leadership position ,the 
term hospital leadership position has   
such meaning as the ,secretary may      

prescribe by regulation4  7g7           
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to     
carry out this section #ejj1jjj1jjj1 in 
the aggregate1 for fiscal years         
beginning after ,september #cj1 #bjbe4  
4