[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3179 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3179

  To modify various Federal health programs to make available certain 
services to women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 27, 1996

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on 
Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, and Agriculture, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To modify various Federal health programs to make available certain 
services to women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``Fairness to Minority Women Health 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXCEPTION TO AFDC INCOME AND RESOURCES ATTRIBUTION RULE FOR 
              CERTAIN BATTERED ALIENS.

    (a) In General.--Section 415(f) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 615(f)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``who is--'' and inserting ``who--'';
            (2) in each of paragraphs (1) and (2), by inserting ``is'' 
        before ``admitted'';
            (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``is'' before 
        ``paroled'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by inserting ``is'' before ``granted''; and
                    (B) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (5) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) by inserting ``is'' before ``a Cuban''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                a semicolon; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) is battered by, or is the subject of extreme cruelty 
        (including physical acts resulting in physical injury or a 
        threat of physical injury, sexual abuse, rape, or mental abuse) 
        perpetrated by, the spouse or other person who executed the 
        affidavit of support or similar agreement referred to in 
        subsection (a) with respect to the alien, but only after the 
        first day on which the battery or cruelty occurs after the 
        alien enters into the United States; or
            ``(7) is a dependent child, and a relative with whom the 
        child is living is battered by, or is the subject of extreme 
        cruelty (including physical acts resulting in physical injury 
        or a threat of physical injury, sexual abuse, rape, or mental 
        abuse) perpetrated by, the parent or other person who executed 
        the affidavit of support or similar agreement referred to in 
        subsection (a) with respect to the alien, but only after the 
        first day on which the battery or cruelty occurs after the 
        alien enters into the United States.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE FOOD STAMP ACT OF 1977.

    (a) In General.--Section 5(i) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 
U.S.C. 2014(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(F) If an alien is battered by the alien's sponsor, or is the 
subject of extreme cruelty perpetrated by the sponsor, after such alien 
enters the United States, then after the date the battery or cruelty 
occurs, this subsection (other than subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2)) 
shall not apply with respect to such alien and to any child of such 
alien less than 18 years of age and residing with such alien.''.
    (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. REQUIRING CERTAIN RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 
              HAVE PERSONNEL AVAILABLE WHO SPEAK PREDOMINANT LANGUAGE 
              USED IN AREA.

    (a) Providers of Obstetrical and Gynecological Services.--
            (1) Medicaid.--Section 1903(i) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1396b(i)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph 
                (14);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (15) and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (15) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(16) with respect to any amount expended for obstetrical 
        or gynecological services furnished by or through a hospital, 
        clinic, or other institutional provider, unless the hospital, 
        clinic, or provider has available at least one individual who 
        is able to communicate in the predominant language used by 
        residents of the area in which the hospital, clinic, or 
        provider is located (as determined by the Secretary on the 
        basis of information provided by the Secretary of Commerce 
        pursuant to the most recent decennial census).''.
            (2) Family planning services.--Section 1001 of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 
                subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following 
                subsection:
    ``(c) The Secretary may make a grant under this section only if the 
applicant involved agrees to ensure that, of the individuals providing 
services under the grant, at least one will be an individual who is 
able to communicate in the predominant language used by residents of 
the area in which the family planning project involved is located (as 
determined by the Secretary on the basis of information provided by the 
Secretary of Commerce pursuant to the most recent decennial census).''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply to services furnished on or after October 1, 1996.
    (b) Domestic Violence Shelters.--
            (1) In general.--The Family Violence Prevention and 
        Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
        the end the following new section:

``SEC. 319. AVAILABILITY OF BILINGUAL SERVICES.

    ``No funds may be made available under this title for any provider 
of shelter or related assistance unless the provider has available at 
least one individual who is able to communicate in the predominant 
language used by residents of the area in which the provider is located 
(as determined by the Secretary on the basis of information provided by 
the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to the most recent decennial 
census).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply to funds made available on or after October 1, 
        1996.

SEC. 5. STUDY REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND LATINA WOMEN.

    (a) In General.--With respect to cases of domestic violence in 
which Latina women are the victims, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with the Attorney General of the United 
States, shall conduct a study for the following purposes:
            (1) To determine the incidence of such cases, and to 
        provide a comparison of such estimate with the relevant 
        incidence for other populations of women (utilizing existing 
        data regarding such other populations).
            (2) To determine whether and to what extent the causes and 
        effects for such cases are different than for cases of domestic 
        violence in which other populations of women are the victims 
        (utilizing existing data regarding such other populations).
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to 
the Congress a report describing the findings made in the study under 
subsection (a).
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