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S. B. No. 2477 *SS26/R898SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Bryan
SENATE BILL NO. 2477
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT IN STRUCTURING GRANTS, APPLICATIONS OR 1
OTHER PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, 2
SECTION 71401 OF PUBLIC LAW NO. 119-21, PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO 3
APPLICANTS, AWARDEES OR SUBGRANTEES LOCATED IN SUPER RURAL ZIP 4
CODES AS DESIGNATED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID 5
SERVICES (CMS) AND TO THOSE LOCATED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES AND AREAS 6
OUTSIDE OF A METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA; TO PROVIDE THAT 7
PRIORITY SHALL ALSO BE GIVEN TO PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE RURAL 8
HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDE DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO 9
MISSISSIPPI PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS, RATHER THAN VENDORS; TO 10
PROVIDE THAT IN ANY GRANT PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT 11
ACQUISITION OR UPGRADES, FACILITIES OR OTHER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 12
FOR FACILITIES OR EQUIPMENT FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH 13
TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO AWARDEES THAT 14
HAVE NOT RECEIVED A DIRECT STATE OR FEDERAL APPROPRIATION FOR 15
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES OR OTHER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN THE 16
PAST THREE YEARS; TO REQUIRE A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS FOR 17
VENDORS, SUBCONTRACTORS OR OTHER ENTITIES SELECTED BY THE STATE TO 18
ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING A STATE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE THAT IS 19
FUNDED THROUGH THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM; TO SPECIFY 20
THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH STATE HEALTH INFORMATION 21
EXCHANGE; TO PROVIDE THAT PREFERENCE IN SELECTING A DESIGNATED 22
VENDOR, SUBCONTRACTOR OR ENTITY SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THOSE 23
ENTITIES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE PROVIDING HEALTH 24
INFORMATION EXCHANGE SERVICES OFFERING REAL-TIME BIDIRECTIONAL 25
ADMISSION, DISCHARGE AND TRANSFER DATA TO MISSISSIPPI HEALTH CARE 26
PROVIDERS; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCY OVERSEEING THE STATE HEALTH 27
INFORMATION EXCHANGE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY 28
FOR THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXCHANGE INCLUDING ALLOWABLE 29
PARTICIPANTS, PERMISSIBLE USES OF DATA, SECURITY AND OTHER 30
PROTOCOL, AND A PROCESS BY WHICH PATIENTS MAY OPT OUT OF 31
PARTICIPATING; TO EXEMPT RECORDS TRANSMITTED TO OR FROM THE HEALTH 32
INFORMATION EXCHANGE FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC 33
RECORDS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY CONTRACT FOR A PROGRAM FUNDED BY 34
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THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, INCLUDING THOSE ENTERED 35
INTO OR MANAGED BY A NON-PUBLIC ENTITY, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE 36
MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC RECORDS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 37
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 38
SECTION 1. (1) In structuring grants, applications or other 39
programs funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural Health 40
Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, 41
priority shall be given to applicants, awardees or subgrantees 42
located in: 43
(a) Super rural zip codes as designated by the Centers 44
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); 45
(b) A county that does not contain a municipality whose 46
population exceeds fifteen thousand (15,000) according to the 2020 47
decennial census, and that also does not contain any portion of a 48
municipality whose population exceeds fifteen thousand (15,000) 49
according to the 2020 decennial census; 50
(c) The region designated by the State Department of 51
Health as the Delta Public Health Region as of January 1, 2026; 52
and 53
(d) Areas outside of a metropolitan statistical area as 54
determined by the federal Office of Management and Budget. 55
(2) Priority shall also be given to programs funded, in 56
whole or in part, by the Rural Health Transformation Program, 57
Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, that provide direct 58
assistance to Mississippi providers and patients, rather than 59
vendors. 60
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(3) In any grant program for medical equipment acquisition 61
or upgrades, facilities or other capital expenditures for 62
facilities or equipment funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural 63
Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 64
119-21, priority shall be given to awardees that have not received 65
a direct state or federal appropriation for medical equipment, 66
facilities or other capital expenditures in the past three (3) 67
years. 68
(4) Any vendor, subcontractor or other entity selected by 69
the state to assist in establishing a state health information 70
exchange shall be subject to a competitive bidding process 71
pursuant to Section 31-7-13(c). Such vendors shall not be 72
selected through the emergency purchase procedure provided in 73
Section 31-7-13(j) or through any of the exceptions from bidding 74
requirements as provided for in Section 31-7-13(m). This 75
subsection shall apply to vendors, subcontractors or other 76
entities or products selected or funded, in whole or in part, by 77
the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public 78
Law No. 119-21. 79
(5) A health information exchange established by the state 80
as described in subsection (4) of this section shall, at a 81
minimum, demonstrate: 82
(a) A patient-centered mission driven primarily to 83
increase access to and ensure the efficient administration of 84
health care in Mississippi; 85
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(b) Compliance with established national standards and 86
applicable state and federal laws, including HIPAA; 87
(c) Interoperability between electronic health record 88
systems; 89
(d) Deliverance of real-time bidirectional admission, 90
transfer and discharge data across all connected participants; and 91
(e) Ability to create and implement a real-time bed 92
availability system to ease essential transfers between licensed 93
hospitals, mental health providers and other facilities. 94
(6) In order to minimize implementation time and cost to the 95
state, preference in the selection of a designated vendor, 96
subcontractor or other entity shall be provided to those entities 97
that have demonstrated experience providing health information 98
exchange services offering real-time bidirectional admission, 99
discharge and transfer data to Mississippi health care providers. 100
(7) The agency overseeing the state health information 101
exchange shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the 102
proper administration of the exchange including allowable 103
participants, permissible uses of data, security and other 104
protocol, and a process by which patients may opt out of 105
participating. 106
(8) Records transmitted to or from the health information 107
exchange shall be exempt from the provisions of the Mississippi 108
Public Records Act of 1983. 109
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ST: Rural Health Transformation Fund monies;
require certain recipients of to be subject to
competitive bidding process.
(9) Every agency that awards grants or funds derived from 110
the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public 111
Law No. 119-21, shall provide quarterly reports to the Lieutenant 112
Governor, Speaker of the House, and Chairs of the Senate and House 113
Appropriations and Medicaid Committees, Senate Public Health and 114
Welfare Committee, and House Public Health and Human Services 115
Committee on funds awarded to subgrantees and any other funds 116
expended from the Rural Health Transformation Program, including 117
funds expended on administration of the program. 118
(10) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (8) of this 119
section, any contract for a program funded in whole or in part by 120
the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public 121
Law No. 119-21, including those entered into or managed by a 122
non-public entity, shall be governed by the Mississippi Public 123
Records Act of 1983. 124
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force 125
from and after its passage. 126