S 1282119th CongressIn Committee

Rural Development Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act of 2025

Introduced: Apr 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

S. 1282, the Rural Development Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act of 2025, would codify a Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program would provide technical assistance and training to eligible rural hospital facilities to help them identify development needs (such as facility modernization, telehealth expansion, and health IT improvements), improve financial and operational performance, and pursue USDA loan and grant opportunities. The goal is to strengthen rural health care delivery, prevent hospital closures, and help facilities access federal financing and support programs administered by USDA. Key elements include a broad definition of eligible hospital facilities located in rural areas (covering many traditional hospital types and related rural health facilities); priority guidance for selecting participants (favoring certain USDA loan/ grant borrowers) with additional criteria for eligibility; mandatory annual reporting to Congress on progress and outcomes; and an authorization of appropriations of up to $2 million per year from 2025 through 2029 to fund the program.

Key Points

1Establishes and funds the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program within USDA to provide tailored technical assistance and training to eligible rural hospital facilities.
2Definitions:
3- Development needs include facility construction/expansion/renovation, telehealth expansion, health care information technology (e.g., electronic health records), and other needs the Secretary deems critical to maintaining services.
4- Eligible hospital facilities include a wide range of rural health institutions (e.g., various hospital types, rural health clinics, community health centers funded under the Public Health Service Act, etc.) located in rural areas.
5Program objectives:
6- Help facilities identify development needs and develop action plans for financial, operational, and quality improvement projects.
7- Improve financial and business management.
8- Help facilities identify and apply for USDA loan and grant programs for which they are eligible.
9Participation and selection:
10- USDA must outreach to encourage participation.
11- Priority for participation is given to borrowers/recipients of USDA Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service programs.
12- May consider factors such as facility age/condition, financial vulnerability and debt repayment ability, EHR needs, location in health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas, and whether the facility serves medically underserved populations, among other criteria.
13Reporting requirements:
14- Not later than 1 year after enactment and annually thereafter, USDA must report to House and Senate Agriculture committees.
15- Reports include descriptions of projects, facilities served, outcomes, costs, completed project summaries, program effectiveness assessments, and recommendations for improvement.
16Funding:
17- Authorized appropriations of up to $2,000,000 per fiscal year for 2025–2029 to carry out the program.

Impact Areas

Primary: Rural hospital facilities and the communities they serve, including hospitals, clinics, and related rural health providers in medically underserved or rural areas.Secondary: USDA agencies (Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Utilities Service) due to prioritization in participant selection; health IT vendors and telehealth service providers may indirectly benefit from increased modernization and implementation efforts.Additional impacts:- Potential improvements in long-term financial stability and operational efficiency of rural health facilities.- Increased access to USDA loan and grant programs for rural health facilities.- Enhanced quality and continuity of rural health care, which could influence job stability and health outcomes in rural regions.- Ongoing congressional oversight through annual reporting, with possible adjustments to program design based on outcomes.

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