[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 824 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 824

  To establish an informatics grant program for hospitals and skilled 
                          nursing facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 3, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish an informatics grant program for hospitals and skilled 
                          nursing facilities.

    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 ``Medication Errors Reduction Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. INFORMATICS SYSTEMS GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOSPITALS AND SKILLED 
              NURSING FACILITIES.

    (a) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
        establish a program to make grants to eligible entities that 
        have submitted applications in accordance with subsection (b) 
        for the purpose of assisting such entities in offsetting the 
        costs related to purchasing, leasing, developing, and 
        implementing standardized clinical health care informatics 
        systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse 
        events and health care complications resulting from medication 
        errors.
            (2) Duration.--The authority of the Secretary to make 
        grants under this section shall terminate on September 30, 
        2011.
            (3) Costs defined.--For purposes of this section, the term 
        ``costs'' shall include total expenditures incurred for--
                    (A) purchasing, leasing, and installing computer 
                software and hardware, including handheld computer 
                technologies;
                    (B) making improvements to existing computer 
                software and hardware;
                    (C) purchasing or leasing communications 
                capabilities necessary for clinical data access, 
                storage, and exchange; and
                    (D) providing education and training to eligible 
                entity staff on computer patient safety information 
                systems.
            (4) Eligible entity defined.--For purposes of this section, 
        the term ``eligible entity'' means the following entities:
                    (A) Hospital.--A hospital (as defined in section 
                1861(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1395x(e))).
                    (B) Skilled nursing facility.--A skilled nursing 
                facility (as defined in section 1819(a) of such Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1395i-3(e))).
    (b) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such form and manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
specifies.
    (c) Special Consideration for Eligible Entities that Serve a Large 
Number of Medicare and Medicaid Eligible Individuals.--In awarding 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall give special 
consideration to eligible entities in which individuals that are 
eligible for benefits under the medicare program under title XVIII of 
the Social Security Act or the medicaid program under title XIX of such 
Act make up a high percentage of the total patient population of the 
entity.
    (d) Limitation on Amount of Grant.--
            (1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section may not 
        exceed the lesser of--
                    (A) an amount equal to the applicable percentage of 
                the costs incurred by the eligible entity for the 
                project for which the entity is seeking funding under 
                this section; or
                    (B) in the case of a grant made to a--
                            (i) hospital, $750,000; or
                            (ii) skilled nursing facility, $200,000.
            (2) Applicable percentage.--For purposes of paragraph 
        (1)(A), the term ``applicable percentage'' means, with respect 
        to an eligible entity, the percentage of total net revenues for 
        such period as determined appropriate by the Secretary for the 
        entity that consists of net revenues from the medicare program 
        under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.
    (e) Eligible Entity Required To Furnish Secretary With 
Information.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section 
shall furnish the Secretary with such information as the Secretary may 
require to--
            (1) evaluate the project for which the grant is made; and
            (2) ensure that funding provided under the grant is 
        expended for the purposes for which it is made.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Interim reports.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall submit, at 
                least annually, a report to the Committee on Ways and 
                Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
                on Finance of the Senate on the grant program 
                established under this section.
                    (B) Contents.--A report submitted pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall include information on--
                            (i) the number of grants made;
                            (ii) the nature of the projects for which 
                        funding is provided under the grant program;
                            (iii) the geographic distribution of grant 
                        recipients; and
                            (iv) such other matters as the Secretary 
                        determines appropriate.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        completion of all of the projects for which a grant is made 
        under this section, the Secretary shall submit a final report 
        to the committees referred to in paragraph (1)(A) on the grant 
        program established under this section, together with such 
        recommendations for legislation and administrative action as 
        the Secretary determines appropriate.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) Authorization.--
                    (A) Hospitals.--There are authorized to be 
                appropriated from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust 
                Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1395i) $93,000,000, for each of the fiscal years 
                2002 through 2011, for the purpose of making grants 
                under this section to eligible entities that are 
                hospitals.
                    (B) Skilled nursing facilities.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated from the Federal Hospital 
                Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) $4,500,000, for each of 
                the fiscal years 2002 through 2011, for the purpose of 
                making grants under this section to eligible entities 
                that are skilled nursing facilities.
            (2) Availability.--Any amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
        authority contained in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) 
        shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation, through 
        September 30, 2011.
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