H.R. 8967 – Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization

AI-Generated Summary

Updated June 5, 2026 at 8:31 AM UTC

The Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization bill extends the existing demonstration program for rural community hospitals from a 15‑year to a 20‑year period. It updates the law’s language to reflect the longer term and adds a provision that lets the Health Secretary apply certain program benefits to hospitals that join the demonstration later, specifically during a defined five‑year window. The changes affect all rural community hospitals participating in the program, including those that were not original participants.

Key Provisions

Amends the statute to replace every reference to a "15‑year extension period" with "20‑year extension period," effectively lengthening the program’s authorized duration.
Updates headings and related language to reflect the new 20‑year term throughout the program’s authorizing section.
Adds a rule allowing the Secretary, during the fourth five‑year segment of the 20‑year extension (Dec 30 2024 to Jan 1 2027), to apply certain program provisions to rural community hospitals that were not originally described but join the demonstration during that time.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

May 21, 2026

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 21, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

May 21, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued May 21, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8967

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 21, 2026

Mr. Feenstra (for himself, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Flood, Ms. Bynum, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Mann, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Ms. Balint, Mr. Schmidt, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Pingree, and Mr. Guest) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To provide for an extension of the rural community hospital demonstration program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Reauthorization.

2.

Five-year extension of the rural community hospital demonstration program

(a)

In general

Subsection (a)(5) of section 410A of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–173; 42 U.S.C. 1395ww note), is amended by striking 15-year extension period and inserting 20-year extension period.

(b)

Conforming amendments for extension

(1)

Extension of demonstration period

Subsection (g) of such section 410A is amended—

(A)

in the subsection heading, by striking Fifteen-Year and inserting Twenty-Year;

(B)

in paragraph (1)—

(i)

by striking additional 15-year and inserting additional 20-year; and

(ii)

by striking 15-year extension period and inserting 20-year extension period;

(C)

in paragraph (2), by striking 15-year extension period and inserting 20-year extension period;

(D)

in paragraph (3), by striking 15-year extension period and inserting 20-year extension period;

(E)

in paragraph (4), by striking 15-year extension period each place it appears and inserting 20-year extension period;

(F)

in paragraph (5), by striking 15-year extension period each place it appears and inserting 20-year extension period; and

(G)

in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6), by striking 15-year extension period and inserting 20-year extension period.

(2)

Rule for hospitals that are not original participants in the demonstration

Paragraph (5) of subsection (g) of such section 410A is amended—

(A)

in subparagraph (B), by striking Additional extension and inserting CAA, 2021 extension; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(C)

Additional extension

During the fourth 5 years of the 20-year extension period, the Secretary shall apply the provisions of paragraph (4) to rural community hospitals that are not described in paragraph (4) but are participating in the demonstration program under this section at any time during the period beginning on December 30, 2024, and ending on January 1, 2027, in a similar manner as such provisions apply to rural community hospitals described in paragraph (4).

.