---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 300s–3"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "300s–3"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/300s-3"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter XIV — Health Resources Development"
  - "Part C — General Provisions"
---

# §300s–3. Definitions


Except as provided in [section 300t–12(e) of this title](/usc/42/300t–12.md?p=e), for purposes of this subchapter—

- (1) The term “hospital” includes general, tuberculosis, and other types of hospitals, and related facilities, such as laboratories, outpatient departments, nurses’ home facilities, extended care facilities, facilities related to [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for home health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), self-care units, and central [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) facilities, operated in connection with hospitals, and also includes education or training facilities for health professonal[^1] personnel operated as an integral part of a hospital, but does not include any hospital furnishing primarily domiciliary care.
- (2) The term “public health center” means a publicly owned facility for the provision of public health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), including related publicly owned facilities such as laboratories, clinics, and administrative offices operated in connection with such a facility.
- (3) The term “nonprofit” as applied to any facility means a facility which is owned and operated by one or more nonprofit [corporations](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2) or associations no part of the net earnings of which inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
- (4) The term “outpatient medical facility” means a [medical facility](#11) (located in or apart from a [hospital](#1)) for the diagnosis or diagnosis and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of ambulatory patients (including ambulatory inpatients)—
  - (A) which is operated in connection with a [hospital](#1),
  - (B) in which patient care is under the professional supervision of persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), or in the case of dental diagnosis or [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), under the professional supervision of persons licensed to practice dentistry in the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f); or
  - (C) which offers to patients not requiring hospitalization the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) of licensed physicians in various medical specialties, and which provides to its patients a reasonably full-range of diagnostic and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
- (5) The term “rehabilitation facility” means a facility which is operated for the primary purpose of assisting in the rehabilitation of disabled persons through an integrated [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) of—
  - (A) medical evaluation and [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), and
  - (B) psychological, social, or vocational evaluation and [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a),

  under competent professional supervision, and in the case of which the major portion of the required evaluation and [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) is furnished within the facility; and either the facility is operated in connection with a [hospital](#1), or all medical and related health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are prescribed by, or are under the general direction of, persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f).

- (6) The term “facility for long-term care” means a facility (including a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility) providing in-patient care for convalescent or chronic disease patients who required skilled nursing or intermediate care and related medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)—
  - (A) which is a [hospital](#1) (other than a [hospital](#1) primarily for the care and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of mentally ill or tuberculous patients) or is operated in connection with a [hospital](#1), or
  - (B) in which such care and medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are prescribed by, or are performed under the general direction of, persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f).
- (7) The term “construction” means construction of new buildings and initial equipment of such buildings and, in any case in which it will help to provide a [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) not previously provided in the community, equipment of any buildings; including architects’ fees, but excluding the cost of off-site improvements and, except with respect to [public health centers](#2), the cost of the acquisition of land.
- (8) The term “cost” as applied to [construction](#7), [modernization](#9), or conversion means the amount found by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) to be necessary for [construction](#7), [modernization](#9), or conversion, respectively, under a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2), except that, in the case of a [modernization](#9) [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) or a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) assisted under part B, such term does not include any amount found by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) to be attributable to expansion of the bed capacity of any facility.
- (9) The term “modernization” includes the alteration, expansion, major [repair](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=4) (to the extent permitted by [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d)), remodeling, [replacement](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=5), and renovation of existing buildings (including initial equipment thereof), and the [replacement](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=5) of obsolete equipment of existing buildings.
- (10) The term “title,”[^2] when used with reference to a site for a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2), means a fee simple, or such other estate or interest (including a leasehold on which the rental does not exceed 4 per centum of the value of the land) as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) finds sufficient to assure for a period of not less than twenty-five years’ undisturbed use and [possession](/usc/42/201.md?p=g) for the purposes of [construction](#7), [modernization](#9), or conversion and operation of the [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) for a period of not less than (A) twenty years in the case of a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) assisted under an allotment or grant under this subchapter, or (B) the term of repayment of a loan made or guaranteed under this subchapter in the case of a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) assisted by a loan or loan guarantee.
- (11) The term “medical facility” means a [hospital](#1), [public health center](#2), [outpatient medical facility](#4), [rehabilitation facility](#5), [facility for long-term care](#6), or other facility (as may be designated by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)) for the provision of health care to ambulatory patients.
- (12) The term “State Agency” means the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) health planning and development [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) designated under subchapter XIII.[^3]
- (13) The term “urban or rural poverty area” means an urban or rural geographical area (as defined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)) in which a percentage (as defined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) in accordance with the next sentence) of the residents of the area have incomes below the poverty level (as defined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Commerce). The percentage referred to in the preceding sentence shall be defined so that the percentage of the population of the United States residing in urban and rural poverty areas is—
  - (A) not more than the percentage of the total population of the United States with incomes below the poverty level (as so defined) plus five per centum, and
  - (B) not less than such percentage minus five per centum.
- (14) The term “[medically underserved population](/usc/42/300e–1.md?p=7)” means the population of an urban or rural area designated by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) as an area with a shortage of health facilities or a population group designated by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) as having a shortage of such facilities.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “professional”.
[^2]: So in original. The comma probably should follow the ending quotations.
[^3]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XVI, § 1624, formerly § 1633, as added Pub. L. 93–641, § 4, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2270; amended Pub. L. 94–484, title IX, § 905(b)(1), Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2325; Pub. L. 95–83, title I, § 106(z), Aug. 1, 1977, 91 Stat. 386; renumbered § 1624 and amended Pub. L. 96–79, title II, §§ 202(b), 203(e)(1), title III, § 301(b), Oct. 4, 1979, 93 Stat. 632, 635, 640.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Subchapter XIII, referred to in par. (12), was repealed effective Jan. 1, 1987, by Pub. L. 99–660, title VII, § 701(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3799.

### Codification

“Part B” substituted for “Part D” in par. (8) pursuant to the redesignation of former part D of this subchapter as B by Pub. L. 96–79, title II, § 202(a), Oct. 4, 1979, 93 Stat. 632.

### Amendments

1979—Pub. L. 96–79, § 301(b), inserted “Except as provided in section 300t–12(e) of this title”.

Pars. (1) to (16). Pub. L. 96–79, § 203(e)(1), struck out pars. (1) and (2) which defined “State” and “Federal share” and redesignated pars. (3) through (16) as pars. (1) through (14), respectively.

1977—Par. (14). Pub. L. 95–83 substituted “subchapter XIII” for “subchapter XII”.

1976—Par. (1). Pub. L. 94–484 defined “State” to include Northern Mariana Islands.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–79 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 204 of Pub. L. 96–79, set out as a note under section 300q of this title.