Rural emergency hospital; allow Department of Health to license psychiatric inpatient beds to separate associated entity.

SB 2680 would have allowed Mississippi's Department of Health to license psychiatric inpatient beds to a separate but affiliated entity when a hospital converts from an acute care or critical access hospital to a rural emergency hospital (per federal rules). It would have required the new psychiatric facility to maintain full separation from the rural emergency hospital in operations, finances, and governance, with a separate certificate of need. The bill directly affected rural hospitals converting their status and their associated psychiatric services. However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and is no longer active.