[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1481 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1481

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
   program of grants to newly accredited allopathic and osteopathic 
medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 2, 2011

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
   program of grants to newly accredited allopathic and osteopathic 
medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.

    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 ``Medical Education Development Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) According to the Council on Graduate Medical Education, 
        the Nation will face a shortage of about 85,000 physicians by 
        2020, due in part to the aging population. The Association of 
        American Medical Colleges estimates the shortage to reach 
        91,000 physicians over the next decade.
            (2) The American Academy of Family Physicians recommended 
        in 2006 that to meet the need for primary care physicians in 
        2020, the United States would have to train 3,725 family 
        physicians and 714 osteopathic physicians annually, with an 
        overall goal of a 39 percent increase in family physicians.
            (3) The Association of American Medical Colleges has called 
        for increased enrollment at Liaison Committee on Medical 
        Education (LCME) accredited schools from 15 to 30 percent over 
        the 2002 levels by 2015. This increase would boost the number 
        of graduates to about 20,000.
            (4) The Federal Government added 500 residency slots for 
        Graduate Medical Education, pledging $168,000,000 by 2015. This 
        was the first significant expansion of medical education since 
        the 1960s and 1970s.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR FUNDING OF NEWLY ACCREDITED MEDICAL SCHOOLS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a 
program of grants to newly accredited allopathic and osteopathic 
medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.
    (b) Use of Grants.--Amounts provided under grants under this 
section may be used to support scholarships, develop residencies, build 
infrastructure, recruit and retain faculty, and develop research 
programs for the purpose described in subsection (a).
    (c) Allocation.--The Secretary shall allocate funds appropriated 
under this section among newly accredited medical schools based on the 
following criteria:
            (1) First priority shall be given to allopathic and 
        osteopathic medical schools accredited to admit students from 
        fiscal years 2009 through 2014.
            (2) Medical schools that enroll larger classes, while 
        maintaining competitive faculty to student ratios, shall 
        receive increased funding based on their size.
            (3) Funds shall only be allocated to medical schools that 
        provide accountability and transparency in expending such 
        funds.
    (d) Annual Reports.--
            (1) Reports to secretary.--Each medical school receiving a 
        grant under this section shall submit an annual report to the 
        Secretary--
                    (A) describing the specific uses of the funds 
                received through the grant;
                    (B) describing how the grant has benefitted the 
                region and the Nation as a whole; and
                    (C) containing such additional information as the 
                Secretary may require.
            (2) Reports to congress.--Not later than the end of fiscal 
        year 2012, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
        a report to the Congress on the grant program under this 
        section. Each such report shall include an evaluation of the 
        effectiveness of grants under this section, taking into 
        consideration the extent to which such grants have--
                    (A) increased the supply of physicians;
                    (B) resulted in greater access to primary and 
                specialty health care;
                    (C) enabled the creation of new, high-quality, 
                cost-conscious care models;
                    (D) provided economic regional benefits; and
                    (E) increased the focus on communications skills of 
                medical students.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for the 5-fiscal-
year period beginning with fiscal year 2012.
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