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) In general.—Part B of title III (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.), as amended, is amended by inserting after section 315 the following:

“SEC. 315A. Assisting veterans with military emergency medical training to become State-licensed or certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

“(a) Program.—The Secretary shall establish a program consisting of awarding grants to States to assist veterans who received and completed military emergency medical training while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States to become, upon their discharge or release from active duty service, State-licensed or certified emergency medical technicians.

“(b) Use of funds.—Amounts received as a grant under this section may be used to assist veterans described in subsection (a) to become State-licensed or certified emergency medical technicians as follows:

“(1) Providing training.

“(2) Providing reimbursement for costs associated with—

“(A) training; or

“(B) applying for licensure or certification.

“(3) Expediting the licensing or certification process.

“(c) Eligibility.—To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall demonstrate to the Secretary’s satisfaction that the State has a shortage of emergency medical technicians.

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

“(e) 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.”.

(b) GAO study and report.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall—

(1) conduct a study on the barriers experienced by veterans who received training as medical personnel while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States and, upon their discharge or release from active duty service, seek to become licensed or certified in a State as civilian health professionals; and

(2) not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Congress a report on the results of such study, including recommendations on whether the program established under section 315A of the Public Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a), should be expanded to assist veterans seeking to become licensed or certified in a State as health providers other than emergency medical technicians.