[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 7 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INOUYE:
  S. 65. A bill to amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to 
ensure that social work students or social work schools are eligible 
for support under the certain programs to assist individuals in 
pursuing health careers and programs of grants for training projects in 
geriatrics, an to establish a social work training program; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.


        Amendment to Title VII of the Public Health Service Act

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on behalf of our nation's clinical social 
workers, I am introducing legislation to amend the Public Health 
Service Act. This legislation would (1) establish a new social work 
training program; (2) ensure that social work students are eligible for 
support under the Health Careers Opportunity Program; (3) provide 
social work schools with eligibility for support under the Minority 
Centers of Excellence programs; (4) permit schools offering degrees in 
social work to obtain grants for training projects in geriatrics; and 
(5) ensure that social work is recognized as a profession under the 
Public Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act.
  Despite the impressive range of services social workers provide to 
people of this national, few federal programs exit to the provide 
opportunities for social work training in health and mental health 
care. This legislation would (1) provide funding for existing social 
work training programs or fellowships for individuals who plan to 
specialize in, practice, or teach social work; (2) help disadvantaged 
students earn graduate degrees in social work with a concentration in 
health or mental health; (3) provide new resources and opportunities in 
social work training for minorities; and (4) encourage schools of 
social work to expand programs in geriatrics.
  Social workers have long provided quality mental health services to 
our citizens and continue to be at the forefront of establishing 
innovative programs to service our disadvantaged populations. I believe 
it is important to ensure that the special expertise social workers 
posses continue to be available to the citizens of this nation. This 
bill, by providing financial assistance to schools of social work and 
social work students, acknowledges the long historic and critical 
importance of the services provided by social work professionals. I 
believe it is time to provide them with the cognition they deserve.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record as follows:

                                 S. 65

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS.

       (a) Health Professions School.--Section 736(g)(1)(A) of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293(g)(1)(A)) is amended 
     by striking ``graduate program in behavioral or mental 
     health'' and inserting ``graduate program in behavioral or 
     mental health including a school offering graduate programs 
     in clinical social work, or programs in social work''.
       (b) Scholarships, Generally.--Section 737(d)(1)(A) of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293a(d)(1)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``mental health practice'' and inserting 
     ``mental health practice including graduate programs in 
     clinical psychology, graduate programs in clinical social 
     work, or programs in social work''.
       (c) Faculty Positions.--Section 738(a)(3) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293b(a)(3)) is amended by 
     striking ``offering graduate programs in behavioral and 
     mental health'' and inserting ``offering graduate programs in 
     behavioral and mental health including graduate programs in 
     clinical psychology, graduate programs in clinical social 
     work, or programs in social work''.

     SEC. 2. GERIATRICS TRAINING PROJECTS.

       Section 753(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 294c(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ``schools offering 
     degrees in social work,'' after ``teaching hospitals,''.

     SEC. 3. SOCIAL WORK TRAINING PROGRAM.

       Subpart 2 of part E of title VII of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 770 as section 770A;
       (2) by inserting after section 769, the following:

     ``SEC. 770. SOCIAL WORK TRAINING PROGRAM.

       ``(a) Training Generally.--The Secretary may make grants 
     to, or enter into contracts with, any public or nonprofit 
     private hospital, school offering programs in social work, or 
     to or with a public or private nonprofit entity (which the 
     Secretary has determined is capable of carrying out such 
     grant or contract)--
       ``(1) to plan, develop, and operate, or participate in, an 
     approved social work training program (including an approved 
     residency or internship program) for students, interns, 
     residents, or practicing physicians;
       ``(2) to provide financial assistance (in the form of 
     traineeships and fellowships) to students, interns, 
     residents, practicing physicians, or other individuals, who 
     are in need thereof, who are participants in any such 
     program, and who plan to specialize or work in the practice 
     of social work;
       ``(3) to plan, develop, and operate a program for the 
     training of individuals who plan to teach in social work 
     training programs; and
       ``(4) to provide financial assistance (in the form of 
     traineeships and fellowships) to individuals who are 
     participants in any such program and who plan to teach in a 
     social work training program.
       ``(b) Academic Administrative Units.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to or 
     enter into contracts with schools offering programs in social 
     work to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or 
     improve academic administrative units (which may be 
     departments, divisions, or other units) to provide clinical 
     instruction in social work.
       ``(2) Preference in making awards.--In making awards of 
     grants and contracts under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     give preference to any qualified applicant for such an award 
     that agrees to expend the award for the purpose of--
       ``(A) establishing an academic administrative unit for 
     programs in social work; or
       ``(B) substantially expanding the programs of such a unit.
       ``(c) Duration of Award.--The period during which payments 
     are made to an entity from an award of a grant or contract 
     under subsection (a) may not exceed 5 years. The provision of 
     such payments shall be subject to annual approval by the 
     Secretary of the payments and subject to the availability of 
     appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the 
     payments.
       ``(d) Funding.--
       ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 
     through 2004.
       ``(2) Allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated under 
     paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make 
     available not less than 20 percent for awards of grants and 
     contracts under subsection (b).''; and
       (3) in section 770A (as so redesignated) by inserting 
     ``other than section 770,'' after ``carrying out this 
     subpart,''.

     SEC. 4. CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER SERVICES.

       Section 1302 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     300e-1) is amended--
       (1) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by inserting ``clinical 
     social worker,'' after ``psychologist,'' each place it 
     appears;
       (2) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``and psychologists'' 
     and inserting ``psychologists, and clinical social workers''; 
     and
       (3) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``clinical social 
     work,'' after ``psychology,''.
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