Rural Health Care Facilities Revitalization Act

Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922–1936c) is amended by adding at the end the following:

A health care facility, including a hospital, behavioral health facility, health care clinic (including a mobile health care clinic), home health agency, and long-term care facility, in a rural area may use assistance provided under section 306(a) for a community facility, or under section 310B, to—

(1) refinance a debt obligation;

(2) update a telehealth, equipment, or online database; or

(3) support ancillary needs, including operating expenses and reserve funds.

A facility may use assistance pursuant to subsection (a) only if doing so would—

(1) help preserve access to a health service in a rural community;

(2) meaningfully improve the financial position of the facility; and

(3) otherwise meet the financial feasibility and security adequacy requirements of the Rural Development Agency.

In the case of an application from a facility referred to in subsection (a) of this section for assistance under section 306(a) for a community facility, or under section 310B, the Secretary may waive the requirement of section 302(a)(1)(D) if the facility that is insolvent or located in a persistent poverty area, socially vulnerable community (as determined by the Secretary), or distressed area (as determined by the Secretary).

In this section:

The term persistent poverty area means an area with a poverty rate of 20 percent or more for 4 consecutive time periods, approximately 10 years apart, spanning approximately 30 years.

The term rural area means an area with a population of 50,000 or fewer inhabitants that is not an urbanized area adjacent or contiguous to a city with a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants.

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.