The bill, known as the "Rural Health Care System Stabilization Act," introduces new requirements for health care facilities located within a 15-mile radius of critical access hospitals. It mandates that any entity planning to establish such a facility must provide certified, written notice to the critical access hospital, detailing the facility and services to be offered. Additionally, the bill establishes standards for transferring patients from freestanding hospital emergency facilities to acute care hospitals, emphasizing that transfers should be based on clinical appropriateness, patient safety, continuity of care, and patient choice. The bill also prohibits coercive or exclusive transfer practices and reinforces compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

Key provisions include the repeal and reenactment of RSA 151:4-a, II(a), which now requires written notice to critical access hospitals, and the introduction of new definitions and standards for patient transfers. The bill prohibits misleading communications and coercive practices that could direct patients to affiliated hospitals without regard for clinical appropriateness. It also grants the attorney general the authority to enforce these standards and define violations, while ensuring that compliance with EMTALA is maintained. The act is set to take effect upon passage.