[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3239 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3239

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
  Assistance Act to ensure the continuity of medical care following a 
major disaster by making private for-profit medical facilities eligible 
                    for Federal disaster assistance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2001

Mr. Thornberry (for himself, Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Norwood, and Mr. Green of 
    Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
  Assistance Act to ensure the continuity of medical care following a 
major disaster by making private for-profit medical facilities eligible 
                    for Federal disaster assistance.

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

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY OF PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR 
              FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Eligibility of Private For-Profit Medical Facilities for 
Assistance Available to Private Nonprofit Facilities.--Section 102(9) 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5122(9)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``Such term also includes private for-profit medical facilities 
(including hospitals and long-term care facilities).''.
    (b) Clarification of Eligibility of Medical Facilities for 
Emergency Preparedness Assistance.--
            (1) Definition of emergency preparedness.--Section 
        602(a)(3)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5196(a)(3)(A)) is amended 
        by inserting ``the preparation of private nonprofit and for-
        profit medical facilities (including hospitals and long-term 
        care facilities) to withstand major disasters,'' after 
        ``control centers,''.
            (2) Functions of fema.--The first sentence of section 
        611(j)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5196(j)(1)) is amended by 
        inserting before the period at the end the following: 
        ``(including the preparation of private nonprofit and for-
        profit medical facilities, including hospitals and long-term 
        care facilities, to withstand major disasters)''.
    (c) Long-Term Care Facility Defined.--Section 102 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5122) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) `Long-term care facility' means any skilled nursing 
        facility (as defined in section 1819(a) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3(a)), any nursing facility (as defined in 
        section 1919(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r(a)), and any other 
        long-term care facility, such as an assisted living facility, 
        hospice care facility, or intermediate care facility for the 
        mentally retarded.''.
                                 <all>