[115th Congress Public Law 408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 5383]]

[CORRECTED PRINT \*\]

                      STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH

                       REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018




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    * Note: The Congressional number has been corrected from ``1151th'' 
to ``115th'' on page 132 Stat. 5384.

[[Page 132 STAT. 5384]]


Public Law 115-408
115th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to improve 
    health care in rural areas. <<NOTE: Dec. 31, 2018 -  [S. 2278]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: State Offices of 
Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018. 42 USC 201 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State Offices of Rural Health 
Reauthorization Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.

    Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254r) is 
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 338J. GRANTS TO STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (established under section 711 of 
the Social Security Act), shall make grants to each State Office of 
Rural Health for the purpose of improving health care in rural areas.
    ``(b) Requirement of Matching Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State 
        office of rural health involved agrees, with respect to the 
        costs to be incurred in carrying out the purpose described in 
        such subsection, to provide non-Federal contributions toward 
        such costs in an amount equal to $3 for each $1 of Federal funds 
        provided in the grant.
            ``(2) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  Waiver or reduction.--The 
        Secretary may waive or reduce the non-Federal contribution if 
        the Secretary determines that requiring matching funds would 
        limit the State office of rural health's ability to carry out 
        the purpose described in subsection (a).
            ``(3) Determination of amount of non-federal contribution.--
        Non-Federal contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in 
        cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, 
        or services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
        services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the 
        Federal Government, may not be included in determining the 
        amount of such non-Federal contributions.

    ``(c) Certain Required Activities.--Recipients of a grant under 
subsection (a) shall use the grant funds for purposes of--
            ``(1) maintaining within the State office of rural health a 
        clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information on--

[[Page 132 STAT. 5385]]

                    ``(A) rural health care issues;
                    ``(B) research findings relating to rural health 
                care; and
                    ``(C) innovative approaches to the delivery of 
                health care in rural areas;
            ``(2) coordinating the activities carried out in the State 
        that relate to rural health care, including providing 
        coordination for the purpose of avoiding redundancy in such 
        activities; and
            ``(3) identifying Federal and State programs regarding rural 
        health, and providing technical assistance to public and 
        nonprofit private entities regarding participation in such 
        programs.

    ``(d) Requirement Regarding Annual Budget for Office.--The Secretary 
may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State involved 
agrees that, for any fiscal year for which the State office of rural 
health receives such a grant, the office operated pursuant to subsection 
(a) of this section will be provided with an annual budget of not less 
than $150,000.
    ``(e) Certain Uses of Funds.--
            ``(1) Restrictions.--The Secretary may not make a grant 
        under subsection (a) unless the State office of rural health 
        involved agrees that the grant will not be expended--
                    ``(A) to provide health care (including providing 
                cash payments regarding such care);
                    ``(B) to conduct activities for which Federal funds 
                are expended--
                          ``(i) within the State to provide technical 
                      and other nonfinancial assistance under section 
                      330A(f);
                          ``(ii) under a memorandum of agreement entered 
                      into with the State office of rural health under 
                      section 330A(h); or
                          ``(iii) under a grant under section 338I;
                    ``(C) to purchase medical equipment, to purchase 
                ambulances, aircraft, or other vehicles, or to purchase 
                major communications equipment;
                    ``(D) to purchase or improve real property; or
                    ``(E) to carry out any activity regarding a 
                certificate of need.
            ``(2) Authorities.--Activities for which a State office of 
        rural health may expend a grant under subsection (a) include--
                    ``(A) paying the costs of maintaining an office of 
                rural health for purposes of subsection (a);
                    ``(B) subject to paragraph (1)(B)(iii), paying the 
                costs of any activity carried out with respect to 
                recruiting and retaining health professionals to serve 
                in rural areas of the State; and
                    ``(C) providing grants and contracts to public and 
                nonprofit private entities to carry out activities 
                authorized in this section.
            ``(3) Limit on indirect costs.--The Secretary may impose a 
        limit of no more than 15 percent on indirect costs claimed by 
        the recipient of the grant.

    ``(f) Reports.--The Secretary may not make a grant under subsection 
(a) unless the State office of rural health involved agrees--
            ``(1) to submit to the Secretary reports or performance data 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require 
        regarding activities carried out under this section; and

[[Page 132 STAT. 5386]]

            ``(2) to submit such a report or performance data not later 
        than September 30 of each fiscal year immediately following any 
        fiscal year for which the State office of rural health has 
        received such a grant.

    ``(g) Requirement of Application.--The Secretary may not make a 
grant under subsection (a) unless an application for the grant is 
submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made 
in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and 
information as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out 
such subsection.
    ``(h) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  Noncompliance.--The Secretary may 
not make payments under subsection (a) to a State office of rural health 
for any fiscal year subsequent to the first fiscal year of such payments 
unless the Secretary determines that, for the immediately preceding 
fiscal year, the State office of rural health has complied with each of 
the agreements made by the State office of rural health under this 
section.

    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--For the purpose of making grants under 
        subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated 
        $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
            ``(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under paragraph 
        (1) shall remain available until expended.''.

    Approved December 31, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 2278:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
            July 24, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 19, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>