Rural Health Resilience Act of 2026

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