[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4282 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4282

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
of toll-free telephone communications through which residents of rural 
   areas can obtain information on the availability in such areas of 
                            health services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 1994

    Ms. English of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
of toll-free telephone communications through which residents of rural 
   areas can obtain information on the availability in such areas of 
                            health services.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Rural Health Information 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES INFORMATION 
              TO RESIDENTS OF RURAL AREAS.

    Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254r) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (i) through (k) as 
        subsections (j) through (l), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the following 
        subsection:
    ``(i) Separate Program Regarding Rural Health Telephone Hotlines.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy, may make grants 
        to States for the purpose of establishing and operating toll-
        free telephone communications through which individuals 
        residing in rural areas of the State can obtain information on 
        the availability to the individuals of health services.
            ``(2) Administration.--The Secretary may make a grant under 
        paragraph (1) only if the State involved agrees that the grant 
        will be administered through the office of rural health of the 
        State.
            ``(3) Certain information.--The Secretary may make a grant 
        under paragraph (1) only if the State involved agrees as 
        follows:
                    ``(A) Information available to individuals under 
                such paragraph will include information on particular 
                health professionals, including, with respect to the 
                professionals involved, the following: Name and address 
                (and instructions for locating the address); telephone 
                number; office hours; the available types of services; 
                and the forms of payment accepted (including a 
                specification regarding health insurance policies and 
                plans, and participation of the professionals in 
                Federal and State health programs).
                    ``(B)(i) Information available to individuals under 
                such paragraph will include information on the 
                availability of the following services: Preventive care 
                (including routine screenings and including 
                immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases); 
                prenatal care; counseling for the abuse of alcohol and 
                drugs; other health-related counseling; domestic 
                violence; sexual abuse; and such other matters as the 
                Secretary may specify.
                    ``(ii) The information available under clause (i) 
                will be designed for the rural area involved, with 
                consideration of the particular health status of the 
                residents of the area.''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 338J(k) of the Public Health Service Act, 
as redesignated by section 2 of this Act, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following 
        paragraph:
            ``(2) Rural health hotlines.--For the purpose of making 
        grants under subsection (i), there are authorized to be 
        appropriated $500,000 for fiscal year 1995, $1,500,000 for 
        fiscal year 1996, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1997.''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``this subsection''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 338J(l) of the Public Health 
Service Act, as redesignated by section 2 of this Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``this section'' and inserting ``subsection 
        (a)''; and
            (2) by striking ``subsection (j)(1)'' and inserting 
        ``subsection (k)(1)''.

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