JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Bills aimed at providing relief to Mississippi’s rural hospitals were passed through the legislature Wednesday, March 28 and now head to the governor’s desk.

Aiding rural hospitals became a top priority for leaders in both the House and Senate as hospitals across the state struggled financially, some to the point of complete collapse.

Lawmakers came together and agreed upon pleading nearly $104 million for rural hospitals.

“Those funds are an attempt to give the hospitals the flexibility to use those funds to address whether it’d be debt or administration or new… a new computer system, whatever their need is to try to throw a lifeline to some of these rural hospitals. There’s an outcry across the state to save the rules of the hospital systems in Mississippi,” said State Senator Chad McMahan (R-District 6).

How much money each hospital will receive is determined by a formula that takes into account bed count, whether or not a hospital has an emergency room and other factors.