The bill, known as the "Rural Health Care System Stabilization Act," introduces new licensing requirements for health care facilities established within a 15-mile radius of critical access hospitals. It mandates that any entity proposing 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.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits coercive or exclusive transfer practices and reinforces compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). It grants the state authority to enforce violations and allows the attorney general to adopt rules for enforcement standards. The bill also clarifies definitions related to transfers and outlines prohibited practices, such as misleading communications or conditioning transfers based on insurance status. The effective date of the act is upon its passage, and it is projected to have a minimal fiscal impact of less than $10,000 in each fiscal year from 2026 to 2029.