[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S81-S82]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for Mr. Inouye):
  S. 64. 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 certain programs to assist individuals in pursuing 
health careers and programs of grants for training projects in 
geriatrics, and to establish a social work training program to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  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 Act.
  Despite the impressive range of services social workers provide to 
people of this nation, few federal programs exist to provide 
opportunities for social work training in health and mental health 
care.
  Social workers have long provided quality mental health services to 
our citizens and continue to be at the forefront of establishing 
innovative programs to serve our disadvantaged populations. I believe 
it is important to ensure that the special expertise social workers 
possess continues 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 history and critical 
importance of the services provided by social work professionals. I 
believe it is time to provide them with the recognition they deserve.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 64

       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 ``Strengthen Social Work 
     Training Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS.

       (a) Health Professions Schools.--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.--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. 3. 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. 4. 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, any school offering programs in social 
     work, or to or with a public or private nonprofit entity that 
     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--
       ``(A) are in need of such assistance;
       ``(B) are participants in any such program; and
       ``(C) 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

[[Page S82]]

     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 and subject to the availability of appropriations 
     for the fiscal year involved to make the payments.
       ``(d) Funding.--
       ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010.
       ``(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 redesignated by paragraph (1)) by 
     inserting ``other than section 770,'' after ``carrying out 
     this subpart,''.

     SEC. 5. 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 the term 
     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,''.
                                 ______