,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #eba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #aa1      
#bjbe,mrs4 ,fischer introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to waive     
certain distance requirements for       
certain hospitals electing to be        
designated as critical access hospitals4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,supporting ,access to     
,rural ,community ,hospitals ,act of    
#bjbe4  #b4 ,waiving certain distance   
requirements for certain hospitals      
electing to be designated as critical   
access hospitals  7a7 ,in general       
,section #ahbj7;c77#b77;,b77i7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acie;i-#d7;c77#b77;,b77i77 is amended--
 7#a7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking or 
at the end2  7#b7 in subclause 7,,ii71  
by adding or at the end2 and  7#c7 by   
adding at the end the following new     

subclause3  7,,iii7 with respect to     
designations occurring during the       
#a-year period beginning on the date    
that is #f months after the date of the 
enactment of this subclause1 is a rural 
community hospital 7as defined in       
subsection 7f7 of section #daj;,a of the
 ,medicare ,prescription ,drug1         
,improvement1 and ,modernization ,act of
 #bjjc7 that was participating in the   
demonstration program established under 
such section as of such date of         
enactment4  4  7b7 ,conforming          
amendments ,section                     
#daj;,a7f77#a77;,a77iv7 of the ,medicare
 ,prescription ,drug1 ,improvement1 and 
,modernization ,act of #bjjc 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #acieww note7 is amended by   
striking is not and all that follows    
through the period and inserting is not 
a critical access hospital 7as defined  
in section #ahfa7mm77#a7 of the ,social 
,security ,act744