[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3618 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3618

   To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a grant to a 
   qualified youth-serving organization for recruiting and preparing 
    students for careers and volunteer opportunities as health care 
                 professionals, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2007

  Mr. Hinojosa (for himself and Ms. Granger) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a grant to a 
   qualified youth-serving organization for recruiting and preparing 
    students for careers and volunteer opportunities as health care 
                 professionals, 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 ``Safe Schools and Health Care 
Professional Pipeline Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. RECRUITING AND PREPARING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

    Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hhb et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 2814 as section 2815; and
            (2) by inserting after section 2813 the following:

``SEC. 2814. RECRUITING AND PREPARING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to recruit and 
prepare more than 500,000 students in secondary schools, institutions 
of higher education, and continuing education programs for careers as 
health care professionals by the year 2012, including volunteer 
opportunities in the Medical Reserve Corps under section 2813.
    ``(b) Emergency Preparedness Pipeline Grant.--The Secretary shall 
make a grant to a qualified youth serving organization for establishing 
and expanding emergency preparedness pipelines consisting of--
            ``(1) health science curricula in secondary schools, 
        institutions of higher education, and continuing education 
        programs that prepare students for careers as health care 
        professionals; and
            ``(2) school-based emergency preparedness chapters 
        described in subsection (c).
    ``(c) School-Based Emergency Preparedness Chapters.--A school-based 
emergency preparedness chapter described in this subsection must meet 
each of the following:
            ``(1) The chapter is administered by a qualified youth-
        serving organization.
            ``(2) The chapter recruits and prepares students for 
        Federal, State, community, and school public health emergencies 
        under the administration of a qualified youth serving 
        organization.
            ``(3) The emergency preparedness training of the chapter--
                    ``(A) is implemented uniformly;
                    ``(B) is coordinated with and integrated into the 
                health science curriculum of the school involved; and
                    ``(C) is provided through certified health science 
                instructors serving as chapter advisors.
    ``(d) National Leadership Conference.--
            ``(1) Grants.--Each year, the Secretary shall make a grant 
        to a qualified youth-serving organization to conduct a national 
        leadership conference.
            ``(2) Participants.--A national leadership conference 
        funded through a grant under this subsection shall include 
        representatives of--
                    ``(A) health science programs in secondary schools, 
                institutions of higher education, and continuing 
                education programs;
                    ``(B) school-based emergency preparedness chapters; 
                and
                    ``(C) the Medical Reserve Corps under section 2813.
            ``(3) Activities.--The activities of a national leadership 
        conference funded through a grant under this subsection shall 
        include general sessions, workshops, competitive events 
        (including at least 5 knowledge- and skill-based 
        demonstrations), and a recognition program.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `institution of higher education' has the 
        meaning given to that term in section 101 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965.
            ``(2) The term `qualified youth-serving organization' means 
        a nonprofit organization that--
                    ``(A) prepares youth exclusively for career entry 
                and advancement opportunities in the health 
                professions, including the Public Health Service;
                    ``(B) offers a national recognition and competitive 
                events program in which students in school-based 
                emergency preparedness chapters and chapter members can 
                demonstrate their knowledge and skills in responding to 
                public health emergencies;
                    ``(C) operates at least 2,500 such chapters; and
                    ``(D) operates in at least 40 States.
            ``(3) The term `school-based emergency preparedness 
        chapter' means a school-based emergency chapter funded through 
        a grant under subsection (b)(2).
            ``(4) The term `secondary school' has the meaning given to 
        such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 
and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2009 through 
2012.''.
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