[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 884 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 884

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the training of 
  health professions students with respect to the identification and 
               referral of victims of domestic violence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 1997

Mrs. Morella (for herself, Mr. Serrano, and Mr. Ganske) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the training of 
  health professions students with respect to the identification and 
               referral of victims of domestic violence.

    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 ``Domestic Violence Identification and 
Referral Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT, FOR CERTAIN HEALTH PROFESSIONS PROGRAMS, OF 
              PROVISIONS REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

    (a) Title VII Programs; Preferences in Financial Awards.--Section 
791 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295j) is amended by 
redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d), and by inserting after 
subsection (b) the following subsection:
    ``(c) Preferences Regarding Training in Identification and Referral 
of Victims of Domestic Violence.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of a health professions 
        entity specified in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall, in 
        making awards of grants or contracts under this title, give 
        preference to any such entity (if otherwise a qualified 
        applicant for the award involved) that has in effect the 
        requirement that, as a condition of receiving a degree or 
        certificate (as applicable) from the entity, each student have 
        had significant training in carrying out the following 
        functions as a provider of health care:
                    ``(A) Identifying victims of domestic violence, and 
                maintaining complete medical records that include 
                documentation of the examination, treatment given, and 
                referrals made, and recording the location and nature 
                of the victim's injuries.
                    ``(B) Examining and treating such victims, within 
                the scope of the health professional's discipline, 
                training, and practice, including, at a minimum, 
                providing medical advice regarding the dynamics and 
                nature of domestic violence.
                    ``(C) Referring the victims to public and nonprofit 
                private entities that provide services for such 
                victims.
            ``(2) Relevant health professions entities.--For purposes 
        of paragraph (1), a health professions entity specified in this 
        paragraph is any entity that is a school of medicine, a school 
        of osteopathic medicine, a graduate program in mental health 
        practice, a school of nursing (as defined in section 853), a 
        program for the training of physician assistants, or a program 
        for the training of allied health professionals.
            ``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        date of the enactment of the Domestic Violence Identification 
        and Referral Act of 1997, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the 
        Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report 
        specifying the health professions entities that are receiving 
        preference under paragraph (1); the number of hours of training 
        required by the entities for purposes of such paragraph; the 
        extent of clinical experience so required; and the types of 
        courses through which the training is being provided.
            ``(4) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `domestic violence' includes behavior commonly referred to 
        as domestic violence, sexual assault, spousal abuse, woman 
        battering, partner abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and 
        acquaintance rape.''.
    (b) Title VIII Programs; Preferences in Financial Awards.--Section 
860 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 298b-7) is amended by 
adding at the end the following subsection:
    ``(f) Preferences Regarding Training in Identification and Referral 
of Victims of Domestic Violence.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of a health professions 
        entity specified in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall, in 
        making awards of grants or contracts under this title, give 
        preference to any such entity (if otherwise a qualified 
        applicant for the award involved) that has in effect the 
        requirement that, as a condition of receiving a degree or 
        certificate (as applicable) from the entity, each student have 
        had significant training in carrying out the following 
        functions as a provider of health care:
                    ``(A) Identifying victims of domestic violence, and 
                maintaining complete medical records that include 
                documentation of the examination, treatment given, and 
                referrals made, and recording the location and nature 
                of the victim's injuries.
                    ``(B) Examining and treating such victims, within 
                the scope of the health professional's discipline, 
                training, and practice, including, at a minimum, 
                providing medical advice regarding the dynamics and 
                nature of domestic violence.
                    ``(C) Referring the victims to public and nonprofit 
                private entities that provide services for such 
                victims.
            ``(2) Relevant health professions entities.--For purposes 
        of paragraph (1), a health professions entity specified in this 
        paragraph is any entity that is a school of nursing or other 
        public or nonprofit private entity that is eligible to receive 
        an award described in such paragraph.
            ``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        date of the enactment of the Domestic Violence Identification 
        and Referral Act of 1997, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the 
        Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report 
        specifying the health professions entities that are receiving 
        preference under paragraph (1); the number of hours of training 
        required by the entities for purposes of such paragraph; the 
        extent of clinical experience so required; and the types of 
        courses through which the training is being provided.
            ``(4) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `domestic violence' includes behavior commonly referred to 
        as domestic violence, sexual assault, spousal abuse, woman 
        battering, partner abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and 
        acquaintance rape.''.
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