Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0843 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2		-	SENATE BILL 1198
3		-	By Jackson
	2	+	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
4	3
5	4		HOUSE BILL 843
6	5		By Haston
7	6
8	7
9	8		HB0843
10	9		001614
11	10		- 1 -
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13	12		AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68,
14	13		relative to designation as a critical access hospital.
15	14
16	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	16		SECTION 1. Short title.
18	17		This act is known and may be cited as the "Restoring Rural Hospital Access for
19	18		Perry and Decatur Counties Act."
20	19		SECTION 2. Findings.
21	20		The general assembly finds that:
22	21		(1) Rural hospitals provide essential healthcare services to this state's
23	22		most vulnerable populations and are often the only point of access to medical
24	23		care in their respective regions;
25	24		(2) Perry County Community Hospital and Decatur County General
26	25		Hospital have been fundamental in delivering healthcare services in Linden and
27	26		Parsons, respectively;
28	27		(3) Both Perry County Community Hospital and Decatur County General
29	28		Hospital previously served their respective communities as necessary providers
30	29		of healthcare services to area residents for many years, including years that
31	30		precede January 1, 2006; and
32	31		(4) The designation of these hospitals as critical access hospitals is vital
33	32		for their operational stability and for the enhancement of healthcare services in
34	33		rural Tennessee.
35	34		SECTION 3. Declaration as necessary providers.
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40	39		(a) The general assembly declares that the following are necessary providers of
41	40		healthcare services to area residents:
42	41		(1) Perry County Community Hospital, located in Linden, Tennessee; and
43	42		(2) Decatur County General Hospital, located in Parsons, Tennessee.
44	43		(b) Through its declaration in subsection (a), the general assembly recognizes
45	44		the indispensable role these hospitals play in their respective communities, and
46	45		acknowledges that prior to their closures both hospitals acted as necessary providers of
47	46		healthcare services, including during a number of years prior to 2006.
48	47		SECTION 4. Purpose.
49	48		The purpose and intent of this act is to enable Perry County Community Hospital
50	49		and Decatur County General Hospital to qualify for federal designation as critical access
51	50		hospitals pursuant to criteria established in Section 1820 of the Social Security Act (42
52	51		U.S.C. § 1395i-4), ensuring that those hospitals may receive the support and resources
53	52		needed to continue providing critical healthcare services.
54	53		SECTION 5. Implementation.
55	54		(a) The department of health and the health facilities commission shall take all
56	55		necessary steps to facilitate the designation of Perry County Community Hospital and
57	56		Decatur County General Hospital as critical access hospitals.
58	57		(b) The department of health and health facilities commission shall coordinate
59	58		with relevant federal agencies to ensure compliance with federal requirements and to
60	59		expedite the process of designation of Perry County Community Hospital and Decatur
61	60		County General Hospital as critical access hospitals and the delivery of the consequent
62	61		benefits of such designation.
63	62		SECTION 6. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance
64	63		is held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that
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69	68		can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of
70	69		this act are severable.
71	70		SECTION 7. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.