,,ii  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #abhb  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,april #c1 #bjbe,mr4   
,r\nds 7= himself & ,mr4 ,wel*7         
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read     
twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on       
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 & ,=e/ry  ,a  
,,bill  ,to codify ! ,rural ,hospital   
,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program ( !       
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture4  #a4 ,%ort    
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,rural  
,developm5t ,hospital ,te*nical         
,assi/ance ,program ,act ( #bjbe4  #b4  
,codification ( ! ,rural ,hospital      
,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program ( !       
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture  7a7           
,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7        
,developm5t ne$s ,! t]m developm5t ne$s 
means-- 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/ems1 su* z       
electronic heal? records2 &  7,d7 su*   
o!r ne$s z ! ,secret>y det]m9es to be   

critical to ma9ta9+ heal? c>e s]vices 9 
! community 9 :i* an eligible 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 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7e7772  7ii7 a
 psy*iatric hospital 7z def9$ 9 section 
#ahfa7;f7 ( t ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#aciex7f7772  7iii7 a long-t]m c>e      
hospital 7z def9$ 9 section #ahfa7;ccc7 
( t ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7ccc7772  
7iv7 a critical access hospital 7z def9$
 9 section #ahfa7mm77#a7 ( t ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7mm77#a7772  7v7 a      
religi\s nonm$ical heal? c>e in/itution 
7z def9$ 9 section #ahfa7ss77#a7 ( t    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7ss77#a7772   
7vi7 a rural heal? cl9ic 7z def9$ 9     
section #ahfa7;aa77#b7 ( t ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7aa77#b7772  7vii7 a    
sole community hospital 7z def9$ 9      
section #ahhf7;d77#e77;,d77iii7 ( t ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4                         

#acieww7d77#e77;,d77iii7772  7viii7 a   
rural em]g5cy hospital 7z def9$ 9       
section #ahfa7kkk77#b7 ( t ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7kkk77#b7772  7ix7 a    
community heal? c5t] receiv+ fund+ "u   
section #ccj ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b72 or  7x7 any
 o!r rural hospital1 z det]m9$ by !     
,secret>y1 9 consultation ) ! ,secret>y 
( ,heal? & ,human ,s]vices2 &  7,b7     
locat$ 9 a rural area4  7#c7 ,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 ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7a77#a77;,a774  7#d7    
,m$ically und]s]v$ area ,! t]m m$ically 
und]s]v$ area has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m 9  
section #ccj;,i7a77#d7 ( ! ,public      
,heal? ,s]vice ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4      
#bed;c-#ad7;a77#d774  7#e7 ,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 ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4      

#bed;b7b77#c774  7#f7 ,program ,! t]m   
,program means ! ,rural ,hospital       
,te*nical ,assi/ance ,program e/abli%$  
"u subsection 7b74  7#g7 ,secret>y ,!   
t]m ,secret>y means ! ,secret>y (       
,agriculture4  7#h7 ,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
  7b7 ,e/abli%m5t ,9 lieu ( any o!r     
au?ority "u :i* ! ,secret>y may provide 
te*nical assi/ance to any eligible      
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 to provide te*nical assi/ance &
 tra9+1 tailor$ to ! capacity & ne$s (  
ea* eligible hospital facility1 to help 
eligible hospital facilities-- 7#a7     
id5tify developm5t ne$s = ma9ta9+       
ess5tial heal? c>e s]vices1 & support   
action plans = f9ancial1 op]ational1 &  
quality improvem5t projects to meet !   

developm5t ne$s2  7#b7 bett] manage !   
f9ancial & bus9ess /rategies ( !        
eligible hospital facilities2 &  7#c7   
id5tify1 & apply = assi/ance f1 loan &  
grant programs ( ! ,dep>tm5t (          
,agriculture = :i* ! eligible hospital  
facilities are eligible4  7c7 ,goals ,! 
goals ( ! ,program %all be-- 7#a7 to    
improve ! long-t]m f9ancial position &  
op]ational effici5cy ( eligible hospital
 facilities2  7#b7 to prev5t ! closure (
 eligible hospital facilities2  7#c7 to 
/r5g!n ! deliv]y ( heal? c>e 9 rural    
areas2 &  7#d7 to help eligible hospital
 facilities bett] access & compete =    
loans & grants f programs adm9i/]$ by ! 
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture4  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--  
7,a7 %all give priority to borr[]s (    

loans & recipi5ts ( grants f ! ,rural   
,h\s+ ,s]vice1 ! ,rural                 
,bus9ess-,coop]ative ,s]vice1 & ! ,rural
 ,utilities ,s]vice2 &  7,b7 may        
consid]-- 7i7 ! age & physical /ate ( ! 
hospital or cl9ic facilities involv$2   
7ii7 ! f9ancial vuln]ability ( !        
hospital or cl9ic facilities1 & !       
ability ( ! hospital or cl9ic facilities
 to meet debt obligations2  7iii7 !     
electronic heal? record implem5tation   
ne$s ( ! hospital or cl9ic facilities2  
7iv7 :e!r ! hospital or cl9ic is locat$ 
9 a heal? pr(essional %ortage area or a 
m$ically und]s]v$ area2  7v7 :e!r !     
hospital s]ves a m$ically und]s]v$      
population2 &  7vi7 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     
,act1 & 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 ( 
! ,program1 includ+-- 7#a7 a brief      
description ( ea* project to provide    
te*nical assi/ance to an eligible       
hospital facility1 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 det]m9es to be appropriate2   
7#b7 a summ>y ( ! te*nical assi/ance    
projects complet$2  7#c7 a summ>y ( !   
outcomes ( ! te*nical assi/ance         
projects2  7#d7 an assessm5t ( !        
effectiv5ess ( ! ,program2 &  7#e7      
recomm5dations = improv+ ! ,program4    
7f7 ,au?orization ( appropriations ,!re 
is au?oriz$ to be appropriat$ to !      
,secret>y to c>ry out ?is section n m   
?an #b1jjj1jjj = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjbe
 ?r\gh #bjbi4