[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10421-S10422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ORGAN TRANSPLANT AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6469, which 
is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 6469) to amend the Public Health Service Act 
     to authorize increased Federal funding for the Organ 
     Procurement and Transplantation Network.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, 
as amended, be read three times and passed, the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that 
any statement relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 5693) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ 
     Transplant Authorization Act of 2008''.

[[Page S10422]]

     SEC. 2. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE ORGAN PROCUREMENT AND 
                   TRANSPLANTATION NETWORK.

       Section 372(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     274(a)) is amended by striking ``$2,000,000'' and inserting 
     ``$7,000,000''.

     SEC. 3. REPORT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     shall request that the Executive Director of the Organ 
     Procurement and Transplantation Network submit to Congress, 
     not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, a report that shall include--
       (1) the identity of transplant programs that have become 
     inactive or have closed since the heart allocation policy 
     change of 2006;
       (2) the distance to the next closest operational heart 
     transplant center from such inactivated or closed programs 
     and an evaluation of whether or not access to care has been 
     reduced to the population previously serviced by such 
     inactive or closed program;
       (3) the number of patients with rural zip codes that 
     received transplants after the heart allocation policy change 
     of 2006 as compared with the number of such patients that 
     received such transplants prior to such heart allocation 
     policy change;
       (4) a comparison of the number of transplants performed, 
     the mortality rate for individuals on the transplant waiting 
     lists, and the post-transplant survival rate nationally and 
     by region prior to and after the heart allocation policy 
     change of 2006; and
       (5) specifically with respect to allosensitized patients, a 
     comparison of the number of heart transplants performed, the 
     mortality rate for individuals on the heart transplant 
     waiting lists, and the post heart transplant survival rate 
     nationally and by region prior to and after the heart 
     allocation policy change of 2006.
       (b) Limitation on Funding.--The increase provided for in 
     the amendment made by section 2 shall not apply with respect 
     to contracts entered into under section 372(a) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274(a)) after the date that is 
     1 year after the date of enactment of this Act if the 
     Executive Director of the Organ Procurement and 
     Transplantation Network fails to submit the report under 
     subsection (a).

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill (H.R. 6469), as amended, was read the third time, and 
passed.

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