Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 741 (42 U.S.C. 293e) is amended—

(1) in the section heading, by striking “Grants for Health Professions Education” and inserting “Cultural and linguistic competency training for health professionals”;

(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (h); and

(3) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

“(a) Program.—The Secretary shall establish a cultural and linguistic competency training program for health professionals, including nurse professionals, consisting of awarding grants and contracts under subsection (b).

“(b) Cultural and linguistic competency training.—The Secretary shall award grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities—

“(1) to test, develop, and evaluate models of cultural and linguistic competency training (including continuing education) for health professionals; and

“(2) to implement cultural and linguistic competency training programs for health professionals developed under paragraph (1) or otherwise.

“(c) Eligibility.—To be eligible for a grant or contract under subsection (b), an entity shall be—

“(1) an accredited health professions school or program;

“(2) an academic health center;

“(3) a public or private nonprofit entity; or

“(4) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in paragraphs (1) through (3).

“(d) Preference.—In awarding grants and contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to entities that have a demonstrated record of at least one of the following:

“(1) Addressing, or partnering with an entity with experience addressing, the cultural and linguistic competency needs of the population to be served through the grant or contract.

“(2) Addressing health disparities.

“(3) Placing health professionals in regions experiencing significant changes in the cultural and linguistic demographics of populations, including communities along the United States-Mexico border.

“(4) Carrying out activities described in subsection (b) with respect to more than one health profession discipline, specialty, or subspecialty.

“(e) Consultation.—The Secretary shall carry out this section in consultation with the heads of appropriate health agencies and offices in the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Office of Minority Health and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

“(f) Definition.—In this section, the term ‘health disparities’ has the meaning given to the term in section 3171.

“(g) Report.—The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the program carried out under this section.”.