BillTrack50 logo
Free Signup Login
Bill

Bill > HB71

MS HB71

MS HB71
Mississippi Hospital Recovery Trust Program; create to provide grants to public hospitals at high financial risk.

summary

Introduced
01/07/2026
In Committee
01/07/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/03/2026

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act To Establish The Mississippi Hospital Recovery Trust Program In The Department Of Finance And Administration To Provide Grants To Public Hospitals At High Financial Risk To Help Those Hospitals Be More Financially Viable So That They Can Continue To Operate And Be Available To Provide Health Care Services To The Communities In Which They Are Located; To Create A Special Fund To Be Known As The Mississippi Hospital Recovery Trust Fund, Which Shall Be Administered By The Department And Expended For The Sole Purpose Of Providing Grants To Public Hospitals Under The Provisions Of This Act; To Provide That To Be Eligible For A Grant, A Public Hospital Must Apply For The Grant And Include Such Documentation As Specified By The Department Showing That The Hospital Is At High Financial Risk; To Provide That The Amount Of Each Grant Shall Be Determined By The Department, With Priority For Larger Grants Being Given To Public Hospitals That Are At Immediate Risk Of Closing And Whose Survival Is Critically Essential To The Communities In Which They Are Located; To Provide That Within Five Business Days After Receipt Of An Application With The Required Documentation Showing That The Public Hospital Is At High Financial Risk, The Department Shall Approve The Application And Distribute The Grant To The Hospital; To Require The Department To Make Annual Reports To The Joint Legislative Budget Committee About Each Grant Made Under This Act; And For Related Purposes.

AI Summary

This bill establishes the Mississippi Hospital Recovery Trust Program within the Department of Finance and Administration to provide financial assistance through grants to public hospitals that are at "high financial risk," meaning they are experiencing significant financial difficulties such as poor profits, high debt, or difficulty paying staff, and are close to closing. A special fund, the Mississippi Hospital Recovery Trust Fund, will be created to hold money from various sources, including legislative appropriations and federal funds, to be used exclusively for these grants. To be eligible, a public hospital, defined as a hospital owned by the state or a local government, must apply and provide documentation proving its financial distress. The Department of Finance and Administration will determine the grant amounts, prioritizing hospitals that are in immediate danger of closing and are vital to their communities. Importantly, the department must approve and distribute grants within five business days of receiving a complete application. The department will also be required to report annually to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on all grants awarded, detailing the hospital, the grant amount, and how the funds were used.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Died In Committee (on 02/03/2026)

bill text

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...