Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization
Latest action · May 21, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 21, 2026
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization
This bill extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program for an additional five years. The program tests the feasibility of cost-based reimbursement under Medicare for small rural hospitals that are too large to qualify for special payment as critical access hospitals.
The bill specifies that hospitals that participate in the program between December 30, 2024, and January 1, 2027, may continue to participate during the five-year extension period.
Cosponsors 21
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 21, 2026 to Sep 14, 2026; 15 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NE | Adrian Smith | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-IA | Ashley Hinson | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-VT | Becca Balint | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-ME | Chellie Pingree | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-KS | Derek Schmidt | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-OR | Janelle S. Bynum | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-ME | Jared F. Golden | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-IA | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-NM | Melanie A. Stansbury | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-MS | Michael Guest | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-NE | Mike Flood | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-NM | Teresa Leger Fernandez | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-KS | Tracey Mann | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| R-IA | Zachary Nunn | Original | May 21, 2026 |
| D-NM | Gabe Vasquez | May 29, 2026 | |
| R-AK | Nicholas J. Begich III | Jun 2, 2026 | |
| R-CO | Jeff Hurd | Jun 9, 2026 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | Jun 23, 2026 | |
| R-CA | James Gallagher | Aug 31, 2026 | |
| D-OR | Maxine Dexter | Sep 14, 2026 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred May 21, 2026 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 21, 2026Introduced in House
- May 21, 2026Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 172, no. 87, May 21, 2026, page H3725.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 4460 | Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization | Identical bill | May 21, 2026 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for an extension of the rural community hospital demonstration program.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 21, 2026Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
