§ 300s–1 — Medical Facility Project Applications

(a) No loan, loan guarantee, or grant may be made under part A or B for a medical facilities project unless an application for such project has been submitted to and approved by the Secretary. If two or more entities join in a project, an application for such project may be filed by any of such entities or by all of them. (1) An application for a medical facilities proj­ect shall be submitted in such form and manner as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe and shall, except as provided in paragraph (2), set forth— (A) in the case of a modernization project for a medical facility for continuation of existing health services, a finding by the State Agency of a continued need for such services, and, in the case of any other project for a medical facility, a finding by the State Agency of the need for the new health services to be provided through the medical facility upon completion of the project; (B) in the case of an application for a grant, assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that (i) the applicant making the application would not be able to complete the project for which the application is submitted without the grant applied for, and (ii) in the case of a project to construct a new medical facility, it would be inappropriate to convert an existing medical facility to provide the services to be provided through the new medical facility; (C) in the case of a project for the discontinuance of a service or facility or the conversion of a service or a facility, an evaluation of the impact of such discontinuance or conversion on the provision of health care in the health service area in which such service was provided or facility located; (D) a description of the site of such project; (E) plans and specifications therefor which meet the requirements of the regulations prescribed under section 300s(2) of this title; (F) reasonable assurance that title to such site is or will be vested in one or more of the entities filing the application or in a public or other nonprofit entity which is to operate the facility on completion of the project; (G) reasonable assurance that adequate financial support will be available for the completion of the project and for its maintenance and operation when completed, and, for the purpose of determining if the requirements of this subparagraph are met, Federal assistance provided directly to a medical facility which is located in an area determined by the Secretary to be an urban or rural poverty area or through benefits provided individuals served at such facility shall be considered as financial support; (H) the type of assistance being sought under part A or B for the project; (I) reasonable assurance that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of work on a project will be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with sections 3141–3144, 3146, and 3147 of title 40, and the Secretary of Labor shall have with respect to such labor standards the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 FR 3176; 5 U.S.C. Appendix) and section 3145 of title 40; (J) in the case of a project for the construction or modernization of an outpatient facility, reasonable assurance that the services of a general hospital will be available to patients at such facility who are in need of hospital care; and (K) reasonable assurance that at all times after such application is approved (i) the facility or portion thereof to be constructed, modernized, or converted will be made available to all persons residing or employed in the area served by the facility, and (ii) there will be made available in the facility or portion thereof to be constructed, modernized, or converted a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay therefor and the Secretary, in determining the reasonableness of the volume of services provided, shall take into consideration the extent to which compliance is feasible from a financial viewpoint. (A) The Secretary may waive— (i) the requirements of subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) for compliance with modernization and equipment standards prescribed pursuant to section 300s(2) of this title, and (ii) the requirement of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) respecting title to a project site, (B) A project referred to in subparagraph (A) is a project— (i) for the modernization of an outpatient medical facility which will provide general purpose health services, which is not part of a hospital, and which will serve a medically underserved population as defined in section 300s–3 of this title or as designated by a health systems agency, and (ii) for which the applicant seeks a loan under part A the principal amount of which does not exceed $20,000.