[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4477 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4477

 To provide grants to strengthen State and local health care systems' 
 response to domestic violence by building the capacity of health care 
  professionals and staff to identify, address, and prevent domestic 
                               violence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1998

  Mrs. Lowey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide grants to strengthen State and local health care systems' 
 response to domestic violence by building the capacity of health care 
  professionals and staff to identify, address, and prevent domestic 
                               violence.

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

SECTION 1. GRANTS TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS.

    (a) 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:

``SEC. 319. GRANTS TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE 
              SETTINGS.

    ``(a) General Purpose Grants.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Office of Family Violence and Prevention Services of the Administration 
for Children and Families, may award grants to eligible State and local 
entities to strengthen the State and local health care system's 
response to domestic violence by building the capacity of health care 
professionals and staff to identify, address, and prevent domestic 
violence.
    ``(b) State Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants under 
        subsection (a) to entities eligible under paragraph (2) for the 
        conduct of not to exceed 10 Statewide programs for the design 
        and implementation of Statewide strategies to enable health 
        care workers to improve the health care system's response to 
        treatment and prevention of domestic violence as provided for 
        in subsection (d).
            ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under paragraph (1) an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be a State health department, nonprofit State 
                domestic violence coalition, State professional medical 
                society, State health professional association, or 
                other nonprofit or State entity with a documented 
                history of effective work in the field of domestic 
                violence;
                    ``(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that such entity 
                is representing a team of organizations and agencies 
                working collaboratively to strengthen the health care 
                system's response to domestic violence; and
                    ``(C) prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
                application at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Secretary may 
                require.
            ``(3) Limitation.--The Secretary may not award a grant to a 
        State health department under paragraph (1) unless the State 
        health department can certify that State laws, policies, and 
        practices do not require the mandatory reporting of domestic 
        violence by health care professionals and staff when the victim 
        is an adult.
            ``(4) Term and amount.--A grant under this section shall be 
        for a term of 4 years and for an amount not to exceed 
        $2,000,000 for each such year.
    ``(c) Local Demonstration Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants under 
        subsection (a) to entities eligible under paragraph (2) for the 
        conduct of not to exceed 10 demonstration projects for the 
        design and implementation of a strategy to improve the response 
        of local health care professionals and staff to the treatment 
        and prevention of domestic violence.
            ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under paragraph (1) an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be a local health department, local nonprofit 
                domestic violence organization or service provider, 
                local professional medical society or health 
                professional association, or other nonprofit or local 
                government entity that has a documented history of 
                effective work in the field of domestic violence;
                    ``(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that such entity 
                is representing a team of organizations working 
                collaboratively to strengthen the health care system's 
                response to domestic violence; and
                    ``(C) prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
                application at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Secretary may 
                require.
            ``(3) Term and amount.--A grant under this section shall be 
        for a term of 3 years and for an amount not to exceed $450,000 
        for each such year.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts provided under a grant under this 
section shall be used to design and implement comprehensive Statewide 
and local strategies to improve the health care setting's response to 
domestic violence in hospitals, clinics, managed care settings, 
emergency medical services, and other health care systems. Such a 
strategy shall include--
            ``(1) the development, implementation, and dissemination of 
        policies and procedures to guide health care professionals and 
        staff responding to domestic violence;
            ``(2) the training of, and providing follow-up technical 
        assistance to, health care professionals and staff to screen 
        for domestic violence, and then to appropriately assess, record 
        in medical records, treat, and refer patients who are victims 
        of domestic violence to domestic violence services;
            ``(3) the implementation of practice guidelines for 
        widespread screening and recording mechanisms to identify and 
        document domestic violence, and the institutionalization of 
        such guidelines and mechanisms in quality improvement 
        measurements such as patient record reviews, staff interviews, 
        patient surveys, or other methods used to evaluate and enhance 
        staff compliance with protocols;
            ``(4) the development of an on-site program to address the 
        safety, medical, mental health, and economic needs of patients 
        who are victims of domestic violence achieved either by 
        increasing the capacity of existing health care professionals 
        and staff to address these issues or by contracting with or 
        hiring domestic violence advocates to provide the services;
            ``(5) the development of innovative and effective 
        comprehensive approaches to domestic violence identification, 
        treatment, and prevention models unique to managed care 
        settings, such as--
                    ``(A) exploring ways to include compensated health 
                care professionals and staff for screening and other 
                services related to domestic violence;
                    ``(B) developing built-in incentives such as 
                billing mechanisms and protocols to encourage health 
                care professionals and staff to implement screening and 
                other domestic violence programs; and
                    ``(C) contracting with community agencies as 
                vendors to provide domestic violence victims access to 
                advocates and services in health care settings; and
            ``(6) the collection of data, implementation of patient and 
        staff surveys, or other methods of measuring the effectiveness 
        of their programs and for other activities identified as 
        necessary for evaluation by the evaluating agency.
    ``(e) Evaluation.--The Secretary may use not to exceed 5 percent of 
the amount appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection (e) to 
evaluate the economic and health benefits of the programs and 
activities conducted by grantees under this section and the extent to 
which the institutionalization of protocols, practice guidelines, and 
recording mechanisms has been achieved.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section--
                    ``(A) $24,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 
                through 2002; and
                    ``(B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            ``(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under paragraph 
        (1) shall remain available until expended.''.
    (b) Technical Amendment.--Section 305(a) of the Family Violence 
Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10405(a)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``an employee'' and inserting ``one 
                or more employees''; and
                    (B) by striking ``individual'' and inserting 
                ``individuals''.
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