Tagged: rural conditions and development

Rural 340B Access Act of 2025This bill makes rural emergency hospitals (REHs) eligible to purchase drugs from manufacturers at discounted prices by participating in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) 340B drug pricing program. HRSA’s 340B program requires drug manufacturers that participate in the Medicaid program to sell certain outpatient drugs at discounted prices to entities listed as eligible under current law. Additionally, in 2020, Congress established REHs as a new Medicare provider designation for hospitals in rural areas providing emergency department services, observation care, and other outpatient medical and health services for which the annual per patient average length of stay does not exceed 24 hours. The bill adds qualifying REHs to the list of entities that are eligible to participate in the 340B program. 

Rural Broadband Window of Opportunity ActThis bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prioritize the processing of applications for certain rural broadband expansion projects that are located in areas with the shortest construction seasons (e.g., areas with long winters and heavy snowfall).Specifically, the FCC must prioritize processing such applications for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase II auction, which aims to facilitate the provision of broadband service to areas that are partially served. (The RDOF program's first phase, which is focused on broadband service for wholly unserved areas, is underway.)