Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act

Sponsored byRep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]TX· Introduced 3 March 2025

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Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

3 March 2025·1 year ago

Summary

Introduced in House · Updated 13 February 2026

Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act

This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as rural emergency hospitals (REHs) under Medicare.

In 2020, Congress established REHs as a new Medicare provider designation for hospitals in rural areas providing emergency department services, observation care, and other outpatient medical and health services for which the annual per patient average length of stay does not exceed 24 hours. These hospitals must have been open as of December 27, 2020, in order to qualify for the new REH designation.

The bill allows hospitals that were open between January 1, 2014, and December 26, 2020, to also qualify for the REH designation, and it provides for a specific payment structure for these hospitals. The bill's changes take effect beginning in 2027.

Timeline

4 actions

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
3 March 2025 · IntroReferral
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
3 March 2025 · IntroReferral
Introduced in House
3 March 2025 · IntroReferral
Introduced in House
3 March 2025 · IntroReferral

Sponsorship

9 cosponsors

Sponsor

Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]TX

Cosponsors

Democrat333%
Republican667%

Republican:Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1]WV
Republican:Rep. Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1]TX
Republican:Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]TX
Democrat:Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]NM
Republican:Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]NE
Republican:Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4]KS
Democrat:Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]MS
Republican:Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11]TX
Democrat:Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]HI

Classification

Policy area

Health

Cosponsor momentum

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Track Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act as it moves through Congress