Bill · S. 4927· Senate(119-S-4927)
Rural Hospital Emergency Room Guarantee Act
- Introduced
- 6/24/2026
- Last activity
- 6/24/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Josh Hawley
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill establishes the "Rural Hospital Emergency Room Guarantee Fund" to provide steady funding for existing rural hospital emergency rooms. The program aims to make payments to eligible entities to help cover normal operating expenses, including staffing. It creates a 10-year program where the Secretary administers payments that are adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for Medical Care Services. Eligible entities can also receive additional payments based on specific formulas or emergency payments if a closure is imminent. To be eligible, a facility must be a rural health facility that participates in a Federal health care program and operates a 24-hour emergency department. Participation in this program is ended if the entity is acquired by private-equity or similar ownership funds.
Yes
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+9
The bill directly stabilizes and protects essential emergency medical services for people living in rural communities.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+8
The bill provides guaranteed funding to ensure rural hospitals can maintain their 24-hour emergency departments.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
Ensuring rural emergency room access provides essential health security for low-income residents in those areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Financial Support for Emergency Services: The bill provides a guaranteed payment of $1,000,000 in the first year to eligible entities, which is adjusted annually for inflation, to help keep emergency rooms open (Section 2(c)(2)(B)(i)).
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Targeted Localized Assistance: The Secretary can provide additional payments based on the specific injury needs of patients and the economic conditions of the local area (Section 2(c)(2)(B)(ii)).
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Emergency Relief: If an emergency department is in danger of closing within 14 days, the Secretary can issue an additional payment of up to $250,000 to prevent immediate closure (Section 2(c)(2)(C)).
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Operational Stability: Funds are specifically designated to pay for normal operating expenses, such as staffing, to ensure the continued operation of the emergency department (Section 2(e)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Funding via Ownership Changes: If a rural health facility is acquired by a private-equity, venture-capital, or similarly purposed ownership fund, it is no longer allowed to participate in the program (Section 2(d)(4)).
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Restrictions on Fund Usage: The bill strictly prohibits using the funds to pay executives, executive staff, or members of the board of directors, or to transfer the funds to other facilities (Section 2(e)(2)).
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Risk of Penalties: Entities that violate program requirements face the possibility of civil penalties or being removed from the program entirely (Section 2(g)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+9Good For Low Income Households+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+8
- 6/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire