[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3254 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3254

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a partnership 
   between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
 Defense to develop and disseminate education and training programs on 
   the medical responses to the consequences of terrorist activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 8, 2001

  Mr. Buyer (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. 
  Stearns, Mr. Snyder, and Mr. McHugh) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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 amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a partnership 
   between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
 Defense to develop and disseminate education and training programs on 
   the medical responses to the consequences of terrorist activities.

    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 ``Medical Education for National 
Defense in the 21st Century Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--(1) Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:
``Sec. 7323. Emergency medical education: joint program with Department 
              of Defense
    ``(a) Joint Education Program.--The Secretary and the Secretary of 
Defense shall carry out a joint program to develop and disseminate a 
series of model education and training programs on the medical 
responses to the consequences of terrorist activities. The Secretaries 
shall enter into an agreement for a partnership to implement the joint 
program.
    ``(b) Implementing Entities.--Within the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, the joint program shall be carried out through the Under 
Secretary for Health. Within the Department of Defense, the joint 
program shall be carried out through the F. Edward Hebert School of 
Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
    ``(c) Content of Programs.--The education and training programs 
developed under the joint program shall be based on programs 
established at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine and shall 
include, at a minimum, training for health care professionals in the 
following:
            ``(1) Recognition of chemical, biological, and radiological 
        agents that may be used in terrorist activities.
            ``(2) Identification of the potential symptoms of those 
        agents.
            ``(3) Understanding of the potential long-term health 
        consequences, including psychological effects, resulting from 
        exposure to those agents.
            ``(4) Emergency treatment for exposure to those agents.
            ``(5) An appropriate course of followup treatment, 
        supportive care, and referral.
            ``(6) Actions that can be taken while providing care for 
        exposure to those agents to protect against contamination.
            ``(7) Information on how to seek to consultative support 
        and to report suspected or actual use of those agents.
    ``(d) Potential Trainees.--In designing the education and training 
programs under this section, the Secretaries shall ensure that 
different programs are designed for health-care professionals at 
various levels. The programs shall be designed to be disseminated to 
health professions students, graduate medical education trainees, and 
health practitioners in a variety of fields.
    ``(e) Consultation.--In establishing the joint medical education 
and training program under this section, the two Secretaries shall 
consult with appropriate representatives of accrediting, certifying, 
and coordinating organizations in the field of health professions 
education.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7322 the 
following new item:

``7323. Emergency medical education: joint program with Department of 
                            Defense.''.
    (b) Initial Funding.--Funds for fiscal year 2002 for the joint 
medical education and training program established under section 7323 
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be 
provided from funds made available under Public Law 107-38.
    (c) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of Defense shall implement section 7323 of title 38, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later than the end of the 
90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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