42 U.S.C. § 291j–7: Loans to public facilities

§291j–7 Loans to Public Facilities

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER IV — CONSTRUCTION AND MODERNIZATION OF HOSPITALS AND OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES › Part B — Loan Guarantees and Loans for Modernization and Construction of Hospitals and Other Medical Facilities › § 291j–7

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Makes loans to public agencies to build or modernize public hospitals and other health facilities. The loans must charge interest equal to the rate for similar guaranteed loans to nonprofit private agencies in the same area, minus 3 percent per year. A loan can only be made if the federal official in charge is reasonably sure the agency can pay principal and interest on time and the agency shows it has the extra money needed to finish the project. Loans must have suitable security, a repayment schedule, a maturity date, and any other terms needed to protect the United States. The official must try to spread loans fairly across different geographic areas. The official can sell these loans on the private market or to the Federal National Mortgage Association under 12 U.S.C. 1717. Sales should be for about the unpaid principal balance. The official may promise payment to the buyer and pay an interest subsidy so the buyer receives a reasonable return. The agreement can let the official collect payments for the buyer, repurchase the loan, or pay off the buyer if the public agency defaults and then pursue recovery. The official may waive recovery for good cause. Interest and any subsidy paid to the buyer count as gross income for federal tax purposes. Sale proceeds go into the loan fund under section 291j–6 and may be reused for new loans. Up to $30,000,000 is authorized to start that fund.

Title 42, §291j–7

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Interest rates; security; equitable geographical distribution

(1)Any loan made by the Secretary to a public agency under this part for the modernization or construction of a public hospital or other health facility shall require such public agency to pay interest thereon at a rate comparable to the current rate of interest prevailing with respect to loans, to nonprofit private agencies, which are guaranteed under this part, for the modernization or construction of similar facilities in the same or similar areas, minus 3 per centum per annum.

(2)(A)No loan to a public agency shall be made under this part unless—

(i)the Secretary is reasonably satisfied that such agency will be able to make payments of principal and interest thereon when due, and

(ii)such agency provides the Secretary with reasonable assurances that there will be available to such agency such additional funds as may be necessary to complete the project with respect to which such loan is requested.

(B)Any loan to a public agency shall have such security, have such maturity date, be repayable in such installments, and be subject to such other terms and conditions (including provision for recovery in case of default) as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the purposes of this part while adequately protecting the financial interests of the United States.

(3)In making loans to public agencies under this part, the Secretary shall give due regard to achieving an equitable geographical distribution of such loans.

(b)Sale

(1)The Secretary shall from time to time, but with due regard to the financial interests of the United States, sell loans referred to in subsection (a)(1) either on the private market or to the Federal National Mortgage Association in accordance with section 1717 of title 12.

(2)Any loan so sold shall be sold for an amount which is equal (or approximately equal) to the amount of the unpaid principal of such loan as of the time of sale.

(c)Agreements

(1)The Secretary is authorized to enter into an agreement with the purchaser of any loan sold under this part under which the Secretary agrees—

(A)to guarantee to such purchaser (and any successor in interest to such purchaser) payment of the principal and interest payable under such loan, and

(B)to pay as an interest subsidy to such purchaser (and any successor in interest of such purchaser) amounts which when added to the amount of interest payable on such loan, are equivalent to a reasonable rate of interest on such loan as determined by the Secretary, after taking into account the range of prevailing interest rates in the private market on similar loans and the risks assumed by the United States.

(2)Any such agreement—

(A)may provide that the Secretary shall act as agent of any such purchaser, for the purpose of collecting from the public agency to which such loan was made and paying over to such purchaser, any payments of principal and interest payable by such agency under such loan;

(B)may provide for the repurchase by the Secretary of any such loan on such terms and conditions as may be specified in the agreement;

(C)shall provide that, in the event of any default by the public agency to which such loan was made in payment of principal and interest due on such loan, the Secretary shall, upon notification to the purchaser (or to the successor in interest of such purchaser), have the option to close out such loan (and any obligations of the Secretary with respect thereto) by paying to the purchaser (or his successor in interest) the total amount of outstanding principal and interest due thereon at the time of such notification; and

(D)shall provide that, in the event such loan is closed out as provided in subparagraph (C), or in the event of any other loss incurred by the Secretary by reason of the failure of such public agency to make payments of principal and interest on such loan, the Secretary shall be subrogated to all rights of such purchaser for recovery of such loss from such public agency.

(d)Right of recovery; waiver

The Secretary may, for good cause, waive any right of recovery which he has against a public agency by reason of the failure of such agency to make payments of principal and interest on a loan made to such agency under this part.

(e)Interest and interest subsidies as gross income under Internal Revenue Code

After any loan to a public agency under this part has been sold and guaranteed, interest paid on such loan and any interest subsidy paid by the Secretary with respect to such loan which is received by the purchaser thereof (or his successor in interest) shall be included in gross income for the purposes of chapter 1 of title 26.

(f)Sales proceeds; deposit and use

Amounts received by the Secretary as proceeds from the sale of loans under this section shall be deposited in the loan fund established by section 291j–6 of this title, and shall be available to the Secretary for the making of further loans under this part in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a)(2) of such section.

(g)Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, for deposit in the loan fund established by section 291j–6 of this title, $30,000,000 to provide initial capital for the making of direct loans by the Secretary to public agencies for the modernization or construction of facilities referred to in subsection (a)(1).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”, which for purposes of codification was translated as “title 26” thus requiring no change in text.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Commitments for Direct Loans to Public Agencies Pub. L. 91–667, title II, § 200, Jan. 11, 1971, 84 Stat. 2007, provided: “That the Secretary is authorized to issue commitments for direct loans to public agencies in accordance with section 627 of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 291j–7] which shall constitute contractual obligations of the United States, the total of such outstanding commitments not to exceed $30,000,000 at any given time; to sell obligations received pursuant to such commitments as provided in section 627, and the proceeds of any such sale shall be used to make a direct loan pursuant to the outstanding commitment under which the obligations were received.”