Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XIV— - HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT › Part Part C— - General Provisions › § 300s–1a
If a facility that got federal money is sold, transferred, or stops being a public health center or a nonprofit hospital/outpatient/long-term care/rehab facility within 20 years after its construction or modernization, the owner or seller must send the Secretary a written notice within 10 days of the sale, transfer, or change. The United States can try to get money back. The amount recovered is the federal share of the original construction or modernization cost applied to the current value of the part of the facility that was the approved project. When recovery can start depends on timing and notice. In most cases recovery may begin after 180 days following the sale, transfer, or change if the required notice was given. If no notice was given, recovery can start on the date of the sale, transfer, or change. Special rules apply for events before July 18, 1984: recovery may begin 30 days after July 18, 1984 or, if later, 180 days after the sale, transfer, or change. The Secretary may waive the government’s right to recover for certain transfers if the buyer creates an irrevocable trust equal to the greater of twice the remaining obligation under clause (ii) of section 300s–1(b)(1)(K) or the recovery amount, the trust is used only to provide the required care under that clause, and the buyer meets the other listed obligations; the Secretary may also waive recovery for a change of use for good cause. The government’s recovery right is not a lien on the facility.
Full Legal Text
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 300s–1a
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73