[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1206 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1206

    To establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2009

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment 
                                program.

    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 ``Pediatric Workforce Investment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INVESTMENT IN TOMORROW'S PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY WORKFORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
shall establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment 
program under which the eligible individual agrees to be employed full-
time for a specified period (which shall not be less than 2 years) in 
providing pediatric medical subspecialty, surgical specialty, or 
psychiatric subspecialty care.
    (b) Program Administration.--Through the program established under 
this section, the Secretary shall enter into contracts with qualified 
health professionals under which--
            (1) such qualified health professionals will agree to 
        provide pediatric medical subspecialty, surgical specialty, or 
        psychiatric subspecialty care in an area with a shortage of the 
        specified pediatric subspecialty that has a sufficient 
        pediatric population to support such pediatric subspecialty, as 
        determined by the Secretary, and
            (2) the Secretary agrees to make payments on the principal 
        and interest of undergraduate or graduate medical education 
        loans of professionals described in paragraph (1) of not more 
        than $35,000 a year for each year of agreed upon service under 
        such paragraph for a period of not more than 3 years during the 
        qualified health professional's--
                    (A) participation in an accredited pediatric 
                medical subspecialty, surgical specialty, or psychiatry 
                subspecialty residency or fellowship; or
                    (B) employment as a pediatric medical 
                subspecialist, surgical specialist, or psychiatric 
                subspecialist serving an area or population described 
                in such paragraph.
    (c) Qualified Health Professional.--For purposes of this section, 
the term ``qualified health professional'' means a licensed physician 
who--
            (1) is entering or receiving training in an accredited 
        pediatric medical subspecialty or pediatric surgical specialty 
        residency or fellowship, or
            (2) has completed (but not prior to the end of the calendar 
        year in which this Act is enacted) the training described in 
        paragraph (1).
    (d) Additional Eligibility Requirement.--The Secretary may not 
enter into a contract under this section with a qualified health 
professional unless the individual is a United States citizen or a 
permanent legal United States resident.
    (e) Determination of Shortage Areas.--For purposes of this section, 
an area shall be determined to be an area with a shortage of a 
specified pediatric subspecialty based on--
            (1) waiting times for patient care;
            (2) recruitment for unfilled positions; or
            (3) the ratio of the number of children who reside in the 
        area who are in need of such pediatric subspecialty care to the 
        number of pediatric subspecialists furnishing such services 
        within 100 miles of the area.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2010 through 2014.
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