Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 4272 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4272 To prioritize health care facilities and mental or behavioral health facilities in the Community Facilities program for fiscal years 2026 through 2031, and allow loans and grants under the program to be used for medical supplies, increasing telehealth capabilities, supporting staffing needs, or renovating and remodeling closed facilities. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 2, 2025 Ms. Underwood (for herself and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To prioritize health care facilities and mental or behavioral health facilities in the Community Facilities program for fiscal years 2026 through 2031, and allow loans and grants under the program to be used for medical supplies, increasing telehealth capabilities, supporting staffing needs, or renovating and remodeling closed facilities. 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 ``Prioritizing Rural Hospitals Act''. SEC. 2. IMPROVING RURAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS. (a) In General.--For fiscal years 2026 through 2031, in selecting recipients of direct loans or grants for the development of essential community facilities under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)), the Secretary of Agriculture shall give priority to entities eligible for the direct loans or grants to develop-- (1) health care facilities; or (2) mental or behavioral health facilities, including certified community behavioral health clinics described in section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 1396a note