[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6743 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6743

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to include public awareness 
about menopause and related chronic conditions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 13, 2023

 Ms. Blunt Rochester (for herself and Mrs. Harshbarger) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to include public awareness 
about menopause and related chronic conditions, 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 ``We're Addressing the Realities of 
Menopause Act of 2023'' or the ``WARM Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. MENOPAUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247b) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(o) Menopause Public Awareness Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        shall carry out a national program to increase awareness of--
                    ``(A) symptoms and trajectories of changes across 
                the menopausal transition and the postmenopausal 
                transition;
                    ``(B) related chronic conditions; and
                    ``(C) the entire range of treatment and therapy 
                options that may, consistent with Federal law, be 
                prescribed by a health care provider for those 
                symptoms, changes, and conditions.
            ``(2) Consultation.--In carrying out the national campaign 
        required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with the 
        Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Director of 
        the National Institute on Aging, the Administrator of the 
        Health Resources and Services Administration, the Director of 
        the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Under 
        Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
        Director of the Defense Health Agency, the Director of the 
        Indian Health Service, health care providers, public health 
        associations, nonprofit organizations that promote the health 
        and quality of life of women during midlife and beyond, and 
        nonprofit organizations with expertise in menopause research 
        and advocacy, to solicit input on evidence-informed information 
        for policy development and program development, implementation, 
        and evaluation.
            ``(3) Requirements.--The national campaign required by 
        paragraph (1) may--
                    ``(A) include the use of evidence-informed media 
                and public engagement;
                    ``(B) include the development of educational 
                programs, materials, and public service announcements;
                    ``(C) include the development of culturally and 
                linguistically competent resources tailored for--
                            ``(i) communities or groups with more 
                        severe or frequent symptoms of menopause or 
                        lower rates of treatment for symptoms of 
                        menopause;
                            ``(ii) rural communities; and
                            ``(iii) other communities as the Secretary 
                        determines appropriate;
                    ``(D) include the dissemination of educational 
                programs, materials, and public service announcements 
                to--
                            ``(i) health care providers, health care 
                        facilities (including primary care providers, 
                        community health centers, rural health clinics, 
                        obstetricians, and gynecologists), and State 
                        and local public health departments; and
                            ``(ii) other entities as the Secretary 
                        determines appropriate to increase awareness as 
                        described in paragraph (1);
                    ``(E) be complementary to, and coordinated with, 
                any other Federal efforts with respect to menopause 
                education and treatment; and
                    ``(F) include message testing to identify 
                culturally competent and effective messages for 
                behavioral change.
            ``(4) Options for dissemination of information.--The 
        national campaign required by paragraph (1) may--
                    ``(A) include the use of--
                            ``(i) social media, television, radio, 
                        print, the internet, and other media;
                            ``(ii) in-person or virtual public 
                        communications; and
                            ``(iii) licensed health care providers and 
                        members of target communities or groups 
                        specified in paragraph (3)(C);
                    ``(B) be targeted to specific groups and 
                communities specified in paragraph (3)(C); and
                    ``(C) be carried out through grants or cooperative 
                agreements to private nonprofit entities with a history 
                of developing and implementing similar campaigns.
            ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--Of amounts made 
        available to the Secretary for other purposes, the Secretary 
        may use up to $70,000,000 of such amounts for the period of 
        fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for the purpose of carrying out 
        the program under this section.''.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than the end of calendar year 
2025, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Ways and Means, the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Oversight and 
Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Committee on Finance, the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate a report that contains--
            (1) a qualitative assessment of the public awareness 
        program under section 317(o) of the Public Health Service Act, 
        as added by subsection (a); and
            (2) a description of the activities conducted under such 
        campaign.

SEC. 3. MENOPAUSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS.

    Part D of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 757 (42 U.S.C. 294f) the 
following:

``SEC. 758. MENOPAUSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institute on Aging, the directors of 
other institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of 
Health as determined appropriate by the Secretary, the Director of the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Under Secretary for 
Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the 
Defense Health Agency, and the Director of the Indian Health Service, 
shall award grants to eligible entities for the purposes described in 
subsection (b).
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--A grant received under this section shall be 
used for any of the following:
            ``(1) Training (including for individuals completing a 
        residency, fellowship, or other clinical training for 
        licensure) for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician 
        assistants, registered nurses, and pharmacists to improve 
        communication and provider preparedness in the management of 
        menopausal symptoms and related chronic conditions.
            ``(2) Establishing, maintaining, or improving academic 
        units or programs that provide training for students or 
        faculty, including through clinical experiences and research, 
        to improve the ability to be able to recognize, diagnose, and 
        treat menopause symptoms and related chronic conditions.
            ``(3) Developing evidence-informed practices or 
        recommendations for the design of units or programs referred to 
        in paragraph (2), including curriculum content standards.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an entity shall be located in the United States and--
            ``(1) a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a 
        school of nursing (as defined in section 801), a physician 
        assistant training program, a school of pharmacy, an accredited 
        public or nonprofit private hospital, or an accredited medical 
        residency program; or
            ``(2) a public or private nonprofit entity which the 
        Secretary has determined is capable of carrying out the program 
        or activities to be funded through the grant.
    ``(d) Equitable Distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall ensure, to the greatest extent possible, 
that such grants are equitably distributed among the geographical 
regions of the United States.
    ``(e) Partnership Required.--As a condition on receipt of a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall agree to carry out the 
program or activities to be funded through the grant in partnership 
with one or more organizations such as an education accrediting 
organization (such as the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the 
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Commission on 
Osteopathic College Accreditation, the Accreditation Commission for 
Education in Nursing, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 
the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, or the Accreditation 
Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant).
    ``(f) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--To seek a grant under this section, an 
        eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary, 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as may be specified by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Minimum contents.--At a minimum, an application under 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) a description of how the eligible entity 
                intends to implement the activities required by 
                subsection (b); and
                    ``(B) a description of benchmarks to be used to 
                measure the success of the implementation of such 
                activities.
    ``(g) Administrative Provisions.--
            ``(1) Period of grants.--A grant awarded to an eligible 
        entity under this section shall be for the period beginning on 
        the date of the award and ending on the date that is 5 years 
        after the establishment of the grant program under this 
        section.
            ``(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--
                    ``(A) demonstrate sufficient size, scope, and 
                capacity to carry out the training described in 
                subsection (b) with respect to an appropriate number of 
                physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, 
                registered nurses, and pharmacists each year to meet 
                the needs of the area to be served;
                    ``(B) demonstrate experience in training providers 
                to practice team-based care that integrates menopause 
                training and treatment protocols with primary care in 
                community-based settings; and
                    ``(C) have the capacity to expand access to 
                menopause training and treatment services in areas with 
                demonstrated need, as determined by the Secretary, such 
                as Tribal, rural, or other underserved communities.
    ``(h) Data Submission; Reporting.--
            ``(1) Data submission by grantees.--Not later than 90 days 
        after the first year of a training program funded through a 
        grant under this section, and not later than 90 days after each 
        subsequent year of such training program during which such 
        funding continues, the recipient of the grant shall submit to 
        the Secretary such data as the Secretary may require for 
        purposes of preparing the report under paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Report to congress.-- Not later than 1 year after 
        receipt under paragraph (1) of data from grantees for a year, 
        the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
        Commerce, the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of 
        the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Committee on Finance, the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and 
        the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate a report that 
        includes--
                    ``(A) the findings and conclusions of the Secretary 
                with respect to menopause curricula in schools and 
                training programs receiving funding through a grant 
                under this section;
                    ``(B) an assessment of the benefits of the grant 
                program under this section for--
                            ``(i) establishing best practices for 
                        health care providers to treat patients in the 
                        clinical setting;
                            ``(ii) providing greater awareness of 
                        menopause and related chronic conditions to--
                                    ``(I) physicians and other health 
                                care professionals; and
                                    ``(II) patients of such physicians 
                                and professionals; and
                            ``(iii) improving the quality, quantity, 
                        and distribution of menopause treatment and 
                        training; and
                    ``(C) a description of the benefits of, and 
                barriers to, integrating menopause curricula at health 
                professions schools and training programs.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of amounts made available 
to the Secretary for other purposes, the Secretary may use up to 
$31,700,000 of such amounts for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 
2028 for the purpose of carrying out the program under this section.''.

SEC. 4. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN MENOPAUSE EDUCATION.

    Part D of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 758 (as added by section 
3) the following:

``SEC. 758A. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN MENOPAUSE EDUCATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with such other 
officials as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall award 
cooperative agreements to eligible entities for--
            ``(1) the designation of such entities as Regional Centers 
        of Excellence in Menopause Education; and
            ``(2) the support of such Regional Centers of Excellence to 
        enhance and improve how health professionals are educated in 
        menopause through development, evaluation, and distribution of 
        evidence-based curricula for health professions schools.
    ``(b) Selection of Regional Centers of Excellence.--
            ``(1) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a 
        cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be an entity offering education to students 
                in various health professions, such as--
                            ``(i) a health system;
                            ``(ii) a teaching hospital;
                            ``(iii) a medical school, a school of 
                        nursing (as defined in section 801), a school 
                        offering a physician assistant education 
                        program, or a school of pharmacy; and
                            ``(iv) any other health profession school, 
                        school of public health, or institution of 
                        higher education engaged in an aspect of the 
                        management of menopause;
                    ``(B) be accredited by the appropriate educational 
                accreditation body;
                    ``(C) demonstrate an existing strategy, and have in 
                place a plan for continuing such strategy, or have a 
                proposed strategy, to implement a curriculum based on 
                best practices for menopause treatment and education; 
                and
                    ``(D) provide to the Secretary such information, at 
                such time, and in such manner, as the Secretary may 
                require.
            ``(2) Diversity.--In awarding cooperative agreements under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) take into account regional differences among 
                eligible entities; and
                    ``(B) make an effort to ensure geographic 
                diversity.
    ``(c) Dissemination of Information.--
            ``(1) Public posting.--The Secretary shall make information 
        provided to the Secretary under subsection (b)(1)(D) publicly 
        available on the website of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.
            ``(2) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) evaluate each project carried out by a 
                Regional Center of Excellence in Menopause Education 
                through funding received under this section; and
                    ``(B) disseminate the results of each such 
                evaluation to appropriate public and private entities.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of amounts made available 
to the Secretary for other purposes, the Secretary may use such sums as 
may be necessary for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for 
the purpose of carrying out the program under this section.''.
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