Bill > HB223

This bill, known as the "Rural Health Care Accessibility Act", modifies licensing requirements for health care facilities near critical access hospitals (CAHs). Specifically, the bill removes existing notification requirements for certain types of health care facilities (including ambulatory surgical centers, emergency medical care centers, birthing centers, drop-in or walk-in care centers, dialysis centers, and special health care services) when they propose to establish a location within 15 miles of a critical access hospital. Previously, these facilities were required to send written notice by certified mail to the chief executive officer of the nearby CAH before establishing their location. The bill effectively simplifies the regulatory process for these health care facilities by eliminating the mandatory notification step. A critical access hospital is a designation for a small, rural hospital that provides limited, essential health care services, as defined by federal regulations (42 C.F.R 485.610(b) and (c)). The bill will take effect 60 days after its passage, providing a short transition period for affected health care facilities and hospitals.

Health and Social Services

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0264&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB223