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,

(a) Program.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and in consultation with the Secretary of Education, may establish a health sciences training program consisting of awarding grants and contracts under subsection (b) to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions.

(b) Development and implementation of health sciences curricula.—The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities—

(1) to plan, develop, or implement secondary school health sciences curricula, including curricula in biology, chemistry, physiology, mathematics, nutrition, and other courses deemed appropriate by the Secretary to prepare students for associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions-related majors; and

(2) to increase the interest of secondary school students in applying to, and enrolling in, accredited associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions-related majors, including through—

(A) work-study programs;

(B) programs to increase awareness of careers in health professions; and

(C) other activities to increase such interest.

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

(1) be a local educational agency; and

(2) provide assurances that activities under the grant or contract will be carried out in partnership with an accredited health professions school or program, public or private nonprofit hospital, or public or private nonprofit entity.

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

(1) Graduating a high or significantly improved percentage of students who have exhibited mastery in secondary school State science standards.

(2) Graduating students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities who are underrepresented in—

(A) associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions or bachelor’s degree programs in health professions-related majors; or

(B) health professions.

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

(f) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “health profession” means the profession of any member of the health workforce, as defined in section 764(i) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 2261.

(2) The term “local educational agency” has the meaning given to the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(3) The term “secondary school”—

(A) means a secondary school, as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); and

(B) includes any such school that is a middle school.

(4) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services except as otherwise specified.

(g) Authorization of appropriations.—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.