[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4056 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4056

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide revised standards for 
 quality assurance in screening and evaluation of gynecologic cytology 
                 preparations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2006

 Mr. Isakson (for himself and Mr. Chambliss) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL



To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide revised standards for 
 quality assurance in screening and evaluation of gynecologic cytology 
                 preparations, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cytology Proficiency Improvement Act 
of 2006''.

SEC. 2. REVISED STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SCREENING AND 
              EVALUATION OF GYNECOLOGIC CYTOLOGY PREPARATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)) is amended to read as 
follows:
                            ``(iv) requirements that each clinical 
                        laboratory--
                                    ``(I) ensure that all individuals 
                                involved in screening and interpreting 
                                cytological preparations at the 
                                laboratory participate annually in a 
                                continuing medical education program in 
                                gynecologic cytology that--
                                            ``(aa) is approved by the 
                                        Accrediting Council for 
                                        Continuing Medical Education or 
                                        the American Academy of 
                                        Continuing Medical Education, 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) provides each 
                                        individual participating in the 
                                        program with gynecologic 
                                        cytologic preparations (in the 
                                        form of referenced glass slides 
                                        or equivalent technologies) 
                                        designed to improve the 
                                        locator, recognition and 
                                        interpretive skills of the 
                                        individual, and
                                    ``(II) maintain a record of the 
                                cytology continuing medical education 
                                results of each individual involved in 
                                screening and interpreting cytological 
                                preparations at the laboratory,''.
    (b) Effective Date and Implementation; Termination of Current 
Program of Individual Proficiency Testing.--
            (1) Effective date and implementation.--Except as provided 
        in paragraph (2), the amendment made by subsection (a) applies 
        to gynecologic cytology services provided on or after the date 
        that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
        and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (hereafter in 
        this subsection referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall issue 
        final regulations implementing such amendment not later than 
        270 days after such date of enactment.
            (2) Termination of current individual proficiency testing 
        program.--As of the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary shall terminate the individual proficiency testing 
        program established pursuant to section 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the 
        Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)), as in 
        effect before the enactment of this section.
                                 <all>