[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1362 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1362

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and title VII of the 
Public Health Service Act to expand medical residency training programs 
                 in geriatrics, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2001

  Mr. Hutchinson (for himself and Mr. Craig) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and title VII of the 
Public Health Service Act to expand medical residency training programs 
                 in geriatrics, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Advancement of 
Geriatric Education Act of 2001''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Disregard of certain geriatric residents and fellows against 
                            graduate medical education limitations.
Sec. 3. Extension of eligibility periods for geriatric graduate medical 
                            education.
Sec. 4. Study and report on improvement of graduate medical education.
Sec. 5. Improved funding for education and training relating to 
                            geriatrics.

SEC. 2. DISREGARD OF CERTAIN GERIATRIC RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS AGAINST 
              GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION LIMITATIONS.

    (a) Direct GME.--Section 1886(h)(4)(F) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)(4)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
                            ``(iii) Increase in limitation for 
                        geriatric residencies and fellowships.--For 
                        cost reporting periods beginning on or after 
                        the date that is 6 months after the date of 
                        enactment of the Advancement of Geriatric 
                        Education Act of 2001, in applying the 
                        limitations regarding the total number of full-
                        time equivalent residents in the field of 
                        allopathic or osteopathic medicine under clause 
                        (i) for a hospital, the Secretary shall not 
                        take into account a maximum of 5 residents 
                        enrolled in a geriatric residency or fellowship 
                        program approved by the Secretary for purposes 
                        of paragraph (5)(A) to the extent that the 
                        hospital increases the number of geriatric 
                        residents or fellows above the number of such 
                        residents or fellows for the hospital's most 
                        recent cost reporting period ending before the 
                        date that is 6 months after the date of 
                        enactment of such Act.''.
    (b) Indirect GME.--Section 1886(d)(5)(B) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
            ``(ix) Clause (iii) of subsection (h)(4)(F) shall apply to 
        clause (v) in the same manner and for the same period as such 
        clause (iii) applies to clause (i) of such subsection.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY PERIODS FOR GERIATRIC GRADUATE MEDICAL 
              EDUCATION.

    (a) Direct GME.--Section 1886(h)(5)(G) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)(5)(G)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause:
                            ``(vi) Geriatric residency and fellowship 
                        programs.--In the case of an individual 
                        enrolled in a geriatric residency or fellowship 
                        program approved by the Secretary for purposes 
                        of subparagraph (A), the period of board 
                        eligibility and the initial residency period 
                        shall be the period of board eligibility for 
                        the subspecialty involved, plus 1 year.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1886(h)(5)(F) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)(5)(F)) is amended by striking 
``subparagraph (G)(v)'' and inserting ``clauses (v) and (vi) of 
subparagraph (G)''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to cost reporting periods beginning on or after the date that is 
6 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT ON IMPROVEMENT OF GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
conduct a study to determine how to improve the graduate medical 
education programs under subsections (d)(5)(B) and (h) of section 1886 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww) so that such programs 
prepare the physician workforce to serve the aging population of the 
United States. Such study shall include a determination of whether the 
establishment of an initiative to encourage the development of 
individuals as academic geriatricians would improve such programs.
    (b) Report.--Not later than the date that is 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under 
subsection (a) together with such recommendations for legislative and 
administrative action as the Secretary determines appropriate.

SEC. 5. IMPROVED FUNDING FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING RELATING TO 
              GERIATRICS.

    (a) Geriatric Faculty Fellowships.--Section of 753(c)(4) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294c(c)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$50,000 for fiscal 
        year 1998'' and inserting ``$75,000 for fiscal year 2002''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``shall not exceed 5 
        years'' and inserting ``shall be 5 years''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 757 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294g) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``In General.--There are 
                authorized'' and inserting ``Authorization.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        there are authorized''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Education and training relating to geriatrics.--There 
        are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 753 such 
        sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2002 through 
        2006.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (C) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(C) not less than $22,631,000 for awards of 
                grants and contracts under--
                            ``(i) section 753 for fiscal years 1998 
                        through 2001; and
                            ``(ii) sections 754 and 755 for fiscal 
                        years 1998 through 2002; and
                    ``(D) for awards of grants and contracts under 
                section 753 after fiscal year 2001--
                            ``(i) in 2002, not less than $20,000,000;
                            ``(ii) in 2003, not less than $24,000,000;
                            ``(iii) in 2004, not less than $28,000,000;
                            ``(iv) in 2005, not less than $32,000,000; 
                        and
                            ``(v) in 2006, not less than 
                        $36,000,000.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``subparagraphs 
                (A) through (C)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) 
                through (D)''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``subparagraphs 
                (A) through (C) of paragraph (2)'' and inserting 
                ``subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1)''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on October 1, 2001.
                                 <all>