[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 853 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 853

            To promote preventive health care for Americans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2007

 Mr. Knollenberg introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, 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 ``Wellness and Prevention Act of 
2007''.

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 2008 
        through 2012.
            (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 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 4. WELLNESS PROGRAM EMPLOYER 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 45N the following new 
section:

``SEC. 45O. WELLNESS PROGRAM EMPLOYER CREDIT.

    ``(a) General Rule.--For purposes of section 38, the wellness 
program employer credit determined under this section for any taxable 
year is an amount equal to 25 percent of the expenses paid or incurred 
by the eligible employer during the taxable year to develop and 
implement a qualified wellness program.
    ``(b) Dollar Limitation.--The amount of the credit determined under 
this section for any taxable year shall not exceed $200 per qualified 
employee employed by the eligible employer during the taxable year.
    ``(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 
                services 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 an individual 
                who has implemented a wellness program for a different 
                employer and who will ensure compliance with 
                appropriate measures to protect the privacy of program 
                participants,
                    ``(B) that conducts health risk assessments for 
                each of the program's participants,
                    ``(C) that offers at least 2 of the preventive 
                services strongly recommended by the U.S. Preventive 
                Services Task Force on an annual basis,
                    ``(D) that offers annual counseling sessions and 
                seminars 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
                    ``(E) 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--
                    ``(A) who participates in at least 2 of the annual 
                preventive services or other programs offered through a 
                qualified wellness program during the taxable year, and
                    ``(B) with respect to whom a health risk assessment 
                has been conducted 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, 2012.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by striking 
        ``plus'' at the end of paragraph (30), by striking the period 
        at the end of paragraph (31) and inserting ``, plus'', and by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(32) the wellness program employer credit determined 
        under section 45O(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 45N the following new item:

``Sec. 45O. Wellness program employer credit.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.

SEC. 5. WELLNESS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT CREDIT.

    (a) In General.--Subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to nonrefundable 
personal credits) is amended by inserting after section 25D the 
following new section:

``SEC. 25E. WELLNESS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT CREDIT.

    ``(a) Allowance of Credit.--In the case of a qualified employee, 
there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this 
subtitle for the taxable year an amount equal to $200.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) 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.
            ``(2) Qualified participant.--With respect to a taxable 
        year, the term `qualified participant' means an individual--
                    ``(A) who participates in at least 2 of the annual 
                preventive services or other programs offered through a 
                qualified wellness program during the taxable year, and
                    ``(B) with respect to whom a health risk assessment 
                has been conducted during the taxable year,
        as determined by the eligible employer who has developed and 
        implemented such qualified wellness program.
            ``(3) 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 an individual 
                who has implemented a wellness program for a different 
                employer and who will ensure compliance with 
                appropriate measures to protect the privacy of program 
                participants,
                    ``(B) that conducts health risk assessments for 
                each of the program's participants,
                    ``(C) that offers at least 2 of the preventive 
                services strongly recommended by the U.S. Preventive 
                Services Task Force on an annual basis,
                    ``(D) that offers annual counseling sessions and 
                seminars 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
                    ``(E) whose qualified participants include not less 
                than 50 percent of the eligible employer's full-time 
                employees.
            ``(4) 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 
                services and other programs in which the eligible 
                employer's employees have participated during the 
                taxable year.
    ``(c) Termination.--This section shall not apply in taxable years 
beginning after December 31, 2012.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart A of 
part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 25D the following new 
item:

``Sec. 25E. Wellness program participant credit.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.
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