[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5657 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5657

            To promote preventive health care for Americans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2006

 Mr. Knollenberg introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
 on Ways and Means, 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 promote preventive health care for Americans.

    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 ``Preventive Medicine for a Healthier 
America Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Improving the health of the population and reducing 
        medical costs requires implementation of preventive methods.
            (2) Organizations throughout the United States have 
        expressed the need for an increase of public health 
        professionals.
            (3) There are only approximately 6,000 physicians board 
        certified in preventive medicine.
            (4) Many health care costs are spent on chronic conditions 
        that could be avoided by implementing preventive methods.
            (5) The number of preventive medicine residency programs 
        and individuals pursuing preventive medicine has significantly 
        decreased in recent years.
            (6) Preventive medicine physicians are uniquely trained to 
        serve patients and communities.
            (7) A strong public health system requires a strong 
        preventive medicine workforce.

SEC. 3. LOAN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR PREVENTIVE MEDICINE PHYSICIANS.

    (a) Payments.--On behalf of any eligible preventive medicine 
physician, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may pay up to 
$20,000 of the medical education loans incurred by the physician.
    (b) Application.--To request a payment under this section, an 
eligible preventive medicine physician shall submit an application to 
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible preventive medicine physician'' 
        means a practicing physician who receives board certification 
        in preventive medicine during the period of fiscal years 2007 
        through 2011.
            (2) The term ``medical education loan'' means the 
        outstanding principal of and interest on a loan incurred for 
        the cost of attendance (including tuition, other reasonable 
        educational expenses, and reasonable living costs) at a school 
        of medicine.
            (3) The term ``school of medicine'' has the meaning given 
        to that term in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 295p).
            (4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

SEC. 4. WELLNESS PROGRAM CREDIT.

    (a) In General.--Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to business related 
credits) is amended by inserting after section 45M the following new 
section:

``SEC. 45N. WELLNESS PROGRAM CREDIT.

    ``(a) General Rule.--For purposes of section 38, the wellness 
program credit determined under this section for any taxable year is an 
amount equal to $200 per qualified employee employed by the eligible 
employer during the taxable year.
    ``(b) Dollar Limitation.--The amount of the credit determined under 
this section for any taxable year shall not exceed 25 percent of the 
eligible employer's regular tax liability (as defined in section 
26(b)).
    ``(c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Eligible employer.--With respect to a taxable year, 
        the term `eligible employer' means an employer who--
                    ``(A) develops and implements a qualified wellness 
                program, and
                    ``(B) keeps accurate records of the preventive 
                health screenings and other programs in which the 
                eligible employer's employees have participated during 
                the taxable year.
            ``(2) Qualified wellness program.--With respect to an 
        eligible employer, the term `qualified wellness program' means 
        a program--
                    ``(A) that is developed and implemented by the 
                eligible employer, in consultation with a physician (as 
                defined in section 213(d)) who is board certified in 
                preventive medicine,
                    ``(B) that provides at least 2 preventive health 
                screenings for the benefit of the eligible employer's 
                employees,
                    ``(C) that provides counseling, seminars, self-help 
                materials, and other resources related to at least 3 of 
                the following:
                            ``(i) smoking,
                            ``(ii) obesity,
                            ``(iii) stress management,
                            ``(iv) physical fitness,
                            ``(v) nutrition,
                            ``(vi) substance abuse,
                            ``(vii) depression,
                            ``(viii) mental health,
                            ``(ix) heart disease, and
                            ``(x) maternal and infant health, and
                    ``(D) whose qualified participants include not less 
                than 50 percent of the eligible employer's full-time 
                employees.
            ``(3) Qualified employee.--With respect to an eligible 
        employer, the term `qualified employee' means an individual who 
        is--
                    ``(A) a full-time employee of the eligible 
                employer, and
                    ``(B) a qualified participant in the eligible 
                employer's qualified wellness program.
            ``(4) Qualified participant.--With respect to a taxable 
        year, the term `qualified participant' means an individual who 
        participates in at least 2 of the preventive health screenings 
        or other programs offered through a qualified wellness program 
        during the taxable year, as determined by the eligible employer 
        who has developed and implemented such qualified wellness 
        program.
    ``(d) Termination.--This section shall not apply in taxable years 
beginning after December 31, 2011.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by striking 
        ``and'' at the end of paragraph (29), by striking the period at 
        the end of paragraph (30) and inserting ``, and'', and by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(31) the wellness program credit determined under section 
        45N(a).''.
            (2) The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of 
        subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 45M the following new item:

``Sec. 45N. Wellness program credit.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2006.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 
shall carry out a national education campaign to encourage the use of 
preventive health screenings by individuals, employers, physicians, 
hospitals, State and local health departments, community health 
centers, industrial sites, occupational health centers, academic 
centers, private practices, the military, and Federal departments and 
agencies.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
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