[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1651 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1651

 To provide for the establishment of the Rural Health Quality Advisory 
                  Commission, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 2007

   Ms. Herseth (for herself, Mr. Walden of Oregon, and Mr. Pomeroy) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the establishment of the Rural Health Quality Advisory 
                  Commission, 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 ``Rural Health Quality Advisory 
Commission Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. RURAL HEALTH QUALITY ADVISORY COMMISSION AND DEMONSTRATION 
              PROJECTS.

    (a) Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
        of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services (in this section referred to as the 
        ``Secretary'') shall establish a commission to be known as the 
        Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission (in this section 
        referred to as the ``Commission'').
            (2) Duties of commission.--
                    (A) National plan.--The Commission shall develop, 
                coordinate, and facilitate implementation of a national 
                plan for rural health quality improvement. The national 
                plan shall--
                            (i) identify objectives for rural health 
                        quality improvement;
                            (ii) identify strategies to eliminate known 
                        gaps in rural health system capacity and 
                        improve rural health quality; and
                            (iii) provide for Federal programs to 
                        identify opportunities for strengthening and 
                        aligning policies and programs to improve rural 
                        health quality.
                    (B) Demonstration projects.--The Commission shall 
                design demonstration projects to test alternative 
                models for rural health quality improvement, including 
                with respect to both personal and population health.
                    (C) Monitoring.--The Commission shall monitor 
                progress toward the objectives identified pursuant to 
                paragraph (1)(A).
            (3) Membership.--
                    (A) Number.--The Commission shall be composed of 11 
                members appointed by the Secretary.
                    (B) Selection.--The Secretary shall select the 
                members of the Commission from among individuals with 
                significant rural health care and health care quality 
                expertise, including expertise in clinical health care, 
                health care quality research, population or public 
                health, or purchaser organizations.
            (4) Contracting authority.--Subject to the availability of 
        funds, the Commission may enter into contracts and make other 
        arrangements, as may be necessary to carry out the duties 
        described in paragraph (2).
            (5) Staff.--Upon the request of the Commission, the 
        Secretary may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 
        personnel of the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health 
        Resources and Services Administration, the Agency for Health 
        Care Quality and Research, or the Centers for Medicare & 
        Medicaid Services to the Commission to assist in carrying out 
        this subsection.
            (6) Reports to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        establishment of the Commission, and annually thereafter, the 
        Commission shall submit a report to the Congress on rural 
        health quality. Each such report shall include the following:
                    (A) An inventory of relevant programs and 
                recommendations for improved coordination and 
                integration of policy and programs.
                    (B) An assessment of achievement of the objectives 
                identified in the national plan developed under 
                paragraph (2) and recommendations for realizing such 
                objectives.
                    (C) Recommendations on Federal legislation, 
                regulations, or administrative policies to enhance 
                rural health quality and outcomes.
    (b) Rural Health Quality Demonstration Projects.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation 
        with the Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission, the Office 
        of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services 
        Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 
        and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall make 
        grants to eligible entities for 5 demonstration projects to 
        implement and evaluate methods for improving the quality of 
        health care in rural communities. Each such demonstration 
        project shall include--
                    (A) alternative community models that--
                            (i) will achieve greater integration of 
                        personal and population health services; and
                            (ii) address safety, effectiveness, 
                        patient- or community-centeredness, timeliness, 
                        efficiency, and equity (the six aims identified 
                        by the Institute of Medicine of the National 
                        Academies in its report entitled ``Crossing the 
                        Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st 
                        Century'' released on March 1, 2001);
                    (B) innovative approaches to the financing and 
                delivery of health services to achieve rural health 
                quality goals; and
                    (C) development of quality improvement support 
                structures to assist rural health systems and 
                professionals (such as workforce support structures, 
                quality monitoring and reporting, clinical care 
                protocols, and information technology applications).
            (2) Eligible entities.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``eligible entity'' means a consortium that--
                    (A) shall include--
                            (i) at least one health care provider or 
                        health care delivery system located in a rural 
                        area; and
                            (ii) at least one organization representing 
                        multiple community stakeholders; and
                    (B) may include other partners such as rural 
                research centers.
            (3) Consultation.--In developing the program for awarding 
        grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall consult with 
        the Administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
        Quality, rural health care providers, rural health care 
        researchers, and private and non-profit groups (including 
        national associations) which are undertaking similar efforts.
            (4) Expedited waivers.--The Secretary shall expedite the 
        processing of any waiver that--
                    (A) is authorized under title XVIII or XIX of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); and
                    (B) is necessary to carry out a demonstration 
                project under this subsection.
            (5) Demonstration project sites.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure that the 5 demonstration projects funded under this 
        subsection are conducted at a variety of sites representing the 
        diversity of rural communities in the Nation.
            (6) Duration.--Each demonstration project under this 
        subsection shall be for a period of 4 years.
            (7) Independent evaluation.--The Secretary shall enter into 
        an arrangement with an entity that has experience working 
        directly with rural health systems for the conduct of an 
        independent evaluation of the program carried out under this 
        subsection.
            (8) Report.--Not later than one year after the conclusion 
        of all of the demonstration projects funded under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress 
        on the results of such projects. The report shall include--
                    (A) an evaluation of patient access to care, 
                patient outcomes, and an analysis of the cost 
                effectiveness of each such project; and
                    (B) recommendations on Federal legislation, 
                regulations, or administrative policies to enhance 
                rural health quality and outcomes.
    (c) Appropriation.--
            (1) In general.--Out of funds in the Treasury not otherwise 
        appropriated, there are appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
        out this section $30,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 
        2008 through 2012.
            (2) Availability.--
                    (A) In general.--Funds appropriated under paragraph 
                (1) shall remain available for expenditure through 
                fiscal year 2012.
                    (B) Report.--For purposes of carrying out 
                subsection (b)(8), funds appropriated under paragraph 
                (1) shall remain available for expenditure through 
                fiscal year 2013.
            (3) Reservation.--Of the amount appropriated under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall reserve--
                    (A) $5,000,000 to carry out subsection (a); and
                    (B) $25,000,000 to carry out subsection (b), of 
                which--
                            (i) 2 percent shall be for the provision of 
                        technical assistance to grant recipients; and
                            (ii) 5 percent shall be for independent 
                        evaluation under subsection (b)(7).
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