Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Mississippi Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2026 Regular Session To: Public Health and Welfare By: Senator(s) Bryan Senate Bill 2477 (As Sent to Governor) AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT IN STRUCTURING GRANTS, APPLICATIONS OR OTHER PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, SECTION 71401 OF PUBLIC LAW NO. 119-21, PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS, AWARDEES OR SUBGRANTEES LOCATED IN SUPER RURAL ZIP CODES AS DESIGNATED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) AND TO THOSE LOCATED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES AND AREAS OUTSIDE OF A METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA; TO PROVIDE THAT PRIORITY SHALL ALSO BE GIVEN TO PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDE DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO MISSISSIPPI PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS, RATHER THAN VENDORS; TO PROVIDE THAT IN ANY GRANT PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION OR UPGRADES, FACILITIES OR OTHER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES FOR FACILITIES OR EQUIPMENT FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO AWARDEES THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A DIRECT STATE OR FEDERAL APPROPRIATION FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES OR OTHER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS; TO REQUIRE A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS FOR VENDORS, SUBCONTRACTORS OR OTHER ENTITIES SELECTED BY THE STATE TO ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING A STATE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE THAT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM; TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH STATE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE; TO PROVIDE THAT PREFERENCE IN SELECTING A DESIGNATED VENDOR, SUBCONTRACTOR OR ENTITY SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THOSE ENTITIES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE PROVIDING HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE SERVICES OFFERING REAL-TIME BIDIRECTIONAL ADMISSION, DISCHARGE AND TRANSFER DATA TO MISSISSIPPI HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCY OVERSEEING THE STATE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXCHANGE INCLUDING ALLOWABLE PARTICIPANTS, PERMISSIBLE USES OF DATA, SECURITY AND OTHER PROTOCOL, AND A PROCESS BY WHICH PATIENTS MAY OPT OUT OF PARTICIPATING; TO EXEMPT RECORDS TRANSMITTED TO OR FROM THE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC RECORDS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY CONTRACT FOR A PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, INCLUDING THOSE ENTERED INTO OR MANAGED BY A NON-PUBLIC ENTITY, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC RECORDS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. (1) In structuring grants, applications or other programs funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, priority shall be given to applicants, awardees or subgrantees located in: (a) Super rural zip codes as designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); (b) A county that does not contain a municipality whose population exceeds fifteen thousand (15,000) according to the 2020 decennial census, and that also does not contain any portion of a municipality whose population exceeds fifteen thousand (15,000) according to the 2020 decennial census; (c) The region designated by the State Department of Health as the Delta Public Health Region as of January 1, 2026; and (d) Areas outside of a metropolitan statistical area as determined by the federal Office of Management and Budget. (2) Priority shall also be given to programs funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, that provide direct assistance to Mississippi providers and patients, rather than vendors. (3) In any grant program for medical equipment acquisition or upgrades, facilities or other capital expenditures for facilities or equipment funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, priority shall be given to awardees that have not received a direct state or federal appropriation for medical equipment, facilities or other capital expenditures in the past three (3) years. (4) Any vendor, subcontractor or other entity selected by the state to assist in establishing a state health information exchange shall be subject to a competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 31-7-13(c). Such vendors shall not be selected through the emergency purchase procedure provided in Section 31-7-13(j) or through any of the exceptions from bidding requirements as provided for in Section 31-7-13(m). This subsection shall apply to vendors, subcontractors or other entities or products selected or funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21. (5) A health information exchange established by the state as described in subsection (4) of this section shall, at a minimum, demonstrate: (a) A patient-centered mission driven primarily to increase access to and ensure the efficient administration of health care in Mississippi; (b) Compliance with established national standards and applicable state and federal laws, including HIPAA; (c) Interoperability between electronic health record systems; (d) Deliverance of real-time bidirectional admission, transfer and discharge data across all connected participants; and (e) Ability to create and implement a real-time bed availability system to ease essential transfers between licensed hospitals, mental health providers and other facilities. (6) In order to minimize implementation time and cost to the state, preference in the selection of a designated vendor, subcontractor or other entity shall be provided to those entities that have demonstrated experience providing health information exchange services offering real-time bidirectional admission, discharge and transfer data to Mississippi health care providers. (7) The agency overseeing the state health information exchange shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of the exchange including allowable participants, permissible uses of data, security and other protocol, and a process by which patients may opt out of participating. (8) Records transmitted to or from the health information exchange shall be exempt from the provisions of the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. (9) Every agency that awards grants or funds derived from the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, shall provide quarterly reports to the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations and Medicaid Committees, Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, and House Public Health and Human Services Committee on funds awarded to subgrantees and any other funds expended from the Rural Health Transformation Program, including funds expended on administration of the program. (10) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (8) of this section, any contract for a program funded in whole or in part by the Rural Health Transformation Program, Section 71401 of Public Law No. 119-21, including those entered into or managed by a non-public entity, shall be governed by the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
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