1.This Act may be cited as
the 9/11 Heroes Health Improvement Act
of 2007
.
2.Grants for
9/11-related health care
(a)The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to
in this section as the Secretary
), acting through the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants to
eligible entities to provide medical and mental health monitoring, tracking,
and treatment to individuals whose health has been directly impacted as a
result of the attacks on New York City and at the Pentagon on September 11,
2001.
(b)
(1)To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a),
an entity shall—
(A)be an
entity—
(i)that serves
individuals described in subsection (a), including—
(I)entities
providing baseline and follow-up screening, clinical examinations, or long-term
medical or mental health monitoring, analysis, or treatment to such individuals
such as the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine of
New York City, the New York City Fire Department’s Bureau of Health Services
and Counseling Services Unit, the New York City Police Foundation’s Project
COPE, the Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance of New York City, and
the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s World Trade Center
Health Registry; and
(II)any entity
performing medical and mental health monitoring, tracking, or treatment of any
individual that responded to the attacks at the Pentagon; or
(ii)an
entity not described in clause (i) that provides similar services to the
individuals described in such clause; and
(B)submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
(2)Individuals eligible to receive assistance from an
entity under a grant under this section shall include firefighters, police
officers, paramedics, workers, volunteers, residents, students, and any other
individual who worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills, or the Pentagon or who lived
or worked in the vicinity of such areas, and whose health has deteriorated as a
result of the attacks described in subsection (a), and who have been evaluated
by a physician or mental health professional for 9/11-related health conditions
and need treatment for such conditions.
(c)Priority in
awarding assistanceAn eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use amounts provided under such grant to provide
assistance to individuals in the following order of priority:
(1)Individuals who
are not covered under health insurance coverage.
(2)Individuals who
need health care assistance beyond what their health insurance coverage
provides.
(3)Individuals with
insufficient health care insurance coverage.
(4)Individuals who
are in need of health care coverage and who are not described in any of
paragraphs (1) through (3).
(d)Not
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and monthly
thereafter, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
shall submit to the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, and the minority leader of the House of
Representatives, a report on the use of funds under this section.
(e)Authorization
of appropriations
(1)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section, $1,914,000,000 for fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
(2)The Secretary may use not to exceed $10,000,000 of
the amount appropriated under paragraph (1) for staffing and administrative
expenses related to the implementation of this section.
(3)The Secretary may use any funds appropriated to the
Department of Health and Human Services, or any other funds specifically
designated, to carry out this section.