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AHA today voiced support for the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 6886), legislation introduced this month by Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Dean Phillips, D-Minn.

The bill would allow PPP loan forgiveness for expenses beyond the current eight-week period; non-payroll expenses to exceed 25% of loan proceeds and the loan term to exceed two years; defer payroll taxes for loan recipients; and extend the rehiring deadline to offset the effect of enhanced unemployment insurance.

“Your legislation provides needed flexibility to allow this program to work for hospitals and their communities,” AHA wrote. “To further improve the PPP, it is critical that Congress moves to final adoption of provisions in the House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act that explicitly make eligible critical access hospitals regardless of bankruptcy status, and waive the affiliation rules for any nonprofit.”