H.R. 8504

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8504 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8504

To authorize affordable financing assistance for rural health centers 
facing financial distress, and to protect access to essential health 
services in rural communities.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 27, 2026

Mr. Figures (for himself, Ms. Bynum, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Thompson of 
Mississippi, and Mrs. Beatty) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize affordable financing assistance for rural health centers 
facing financial distress, and to protect access to essential health 
services in rural communities.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Health Resilience Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY STABILIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1981-2008w) is amended by inserting after section 374 the 
following:

``SEC. 375. RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY STABILIZATION ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM.

``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide loans and loan 
guarantees to help prevent rural health centers from closing or 
reducing essential services.
``(b) Eligible Borrowers.--
``(1) In general.--A health center shall be eligible for a 
loan or loan guarantee under this section if--
``(A)(i) the health center--
``(I) is located in a rural area; or
``(II) serves a rural community with a 
hospital at least 60 percent of the patients of 
which have their primary residence in a rural 
area; or
``(ii) at least 30 percent of the patients of the 
health center reside in a rural area; and
``(B) the health center demonstrates financial 
distress through objective indicators such as operating 
margin of less than 5 percent, low cash reserves, risk 
of service loss, or such other indicators as may be 
determined by the Secretary.
``(2) Definitions.--In this section:
``(A) Health center.--The term `health center' 
means the following:
``(i) A subsection (d) hospital (as defined 
in paragraph (1)(B) of section 1886(d) of the 
Social Security Act).
``(ii) A critical access hospital (as 
defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social 
Security Act).
``(iii) A sole community hospital (as 
defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of the 
Social Security Act).
``(iv) A Medicare-dependent, small rural 
hospital (as defined in section 
1886(d)(5)(G)(iv) of the Social Security Act).
``(v) A low-volume hospital (as defined in 
section 1886(d)(12)(C) of the Social Security 
Act).
``(vi) A rural emergency hospital (as 
defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of the Social 
Security Act).
``(vii) A rural health clinic (as defined 
in section 1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security 
Act).
``(viii) A Federally qualified health 
center (as defined in section 1861(aa)(4)) of 
the Social Security Act.
``(ix) A community mental health center (as 
defined in section 1861(ff)(3)(B) of the Social 
Security Act).
``(x) A health center that is receiving a 
grant under section 330 of the Public Health 
Service Act.
``(xi) An opioid treatment program (as 
defined in section 1861(jjj)(2) of the Social 
Security Act).
``(xii) A certified community behavioral 
health clinic (as defined in section 
1905(jj)(2) of the Social Security Act).
``(B) Rural area.--The term `rural area' has the 
meaning given the term in subparagraph (A) of section 
343(a)(13), including an area described in clause (ii) 
of such subparagraph that the Secretary determines 
under subparagraph (D) of such section is a rural area.
``(3) Priority.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary may prioritize the provision of 
assistance to health centers that are--
``(i) sole community providers, as 
determined by the Secretary;
``(ii) providers in a high poverty area or 
an area designated by the Secretary as having a 
shortage of personal health services; and
``(iii) hospitals delivering critical 
emergency and safety-net services, as 
determined by the Secretary.
``(B) High poverty area defined.--In subparagraph 
(A), the term `high poverty area' means an area with an 
areawide poverty rate of 20 percent or more, based on 
the Official Poverty Measure of the Bureau of the 
Census.
``(c) Use of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
subtitle, a health center to which a loan or loan guarantee is provided 
under this section may use the loan or loan guarantee to prevent the 
closure of, or the reduction of the provision of essential services by 
the health center, and to restore the provision of essential services 
by the health center, by using the loan proceeds in ways such as--
``(1) for projects to acquire, repair, or upgrade the 
systems, facilities, and equipment of the health center;
``(2) to cover the operational costs of the health center, 
including supplies and payroll expenses (except bonuses);
``(3) for debt payments, working capital, maintaining 
essential service lines, bridging reimbursement timing gaps, or 
refinancing high-interest debt incurred for patient care 
operations; or
``(4) any other activity as the Secretary may allow.
``(d) Report to Congress.--Within 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the 
activities and outcomes of the program carried out under this section, 
including the effect of the program on stabilizing the finances of the 
rural health care facilities assisted by the program, and shall make 
available to the public a summary of the report which does not include 
any personal information or any financial information about a health 
center.''.
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