108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 623
To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the shortage
of medical laboratory personnel.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 5, 2003
Mr. SHIMKUS (for himself, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the shortage
of medical laboratory personnel.
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 Laboratory Personnel Shortage Act of
2003'.
SEC. 2. RESPONSE TO SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL; PROGRAMS OF
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.
(a) SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS- Section 737 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293a)) is amended by adding at the end the following
subsection:
`(e) SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS, MEDICAL
LABORATORY TECHNICIANS, AND OTHER MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL-
`(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish a program of scholarships
and loan repayment for the purpose of alleviating the shortage of medical
laboratory personnel. The scholarship and loan repayment program shall include
a period of obligated service for recipients in a designated health professional
shortage area, or other area where there is a shortage of medical laboratory
personnel. The Secretary may model the program after the scholarship and
loan repayment programs under sections 338A and 338B.
`(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES- Schools of allied health, and health care institution-based
programs training medical laboratory personnel, are eligible to receive
awards under paragraph (1).
`(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this
subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $11,193,000 in fiscal
year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2005 through 2008. Such authorization is in addition to other authorizations
of appropriations that are available for such purpose.'.
(b) OTHER PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE VII-
(1) ALLIED HEALTH AND OTHER DISCIPLINES-
(A) PREFERENCE IN MAKING AWARDS; PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS- Section
755 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294e)) is amended by adding
at the end the following subsections:
`(c) PREFERENCE IN MAKING AWARDS- In making awards of grants and contracts
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to making awards
to assist entities in meeting the costs associated with expanding or establishing
programs that will increase the number of individuals trained as medical laboratory
personnel.
`(d) PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS- The Secretary shall develop and issue public
service announcements that advertise and promote medical laboratory personnel
careers, highlight the advantages and rewards of medical laboratory personnel
careers, and encourage individuals to enter medical laboratory personnel careers.'.
(B) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- Section 757 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294g(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following
subsection:
`(d) ALLIED HEALTH AND OTHER DISCIPLINES- For the purpose of carrying out
section 755, there are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for fiscal
year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2005 through 2008. Such authorization is in addition to the authorizations
of appropriations under subsection (a) that are available for such purpose.'.
(2) OTHER TITLE VII PROGRAMS- Section 740 of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 293d) is amended--
(A) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
(B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following subsection:
`(d) MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL- For the purpose of increasing the number
of individuals trained as medical laboratory personnel through making awards
of grants or contracts under sections 737 through 739 for appropriate schools
of allied health, there are authorized to be appropriated, in addition to
authorizations of appropriations under subsections (a) through (c) that are
available for such purpose, the following:
`(1) For awards under section 738 to serve as members of the faculty of
such schools, $332,500 for fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008.
`(2) For awards under section 739 to such schools, $8,200,000 for fiscal
year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2005 through 2008.'.
(3) DEFINITION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL- Section 799B of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
`(12) The term `medical laboratory personnel' means allied health professionals
(as defined in paragraph (5)) who are medical technologists, cytotechnologists,
histotechnologists, phlebotomists, or medical laboratory technicians, or
who are in other fields that, within the meaning of section 353(a) (relating
to the certification of clinical laboratories), examine materials derived
from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis,
prevention, or treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment
of the health of, human beings.'.
SEC. 3. RESPONSE TO SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL; PROGRAMS OF
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
Title XV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300k et seq.) is amended
by inserting after section 1509 the following section:
`SEC. 1509A. SHORTAGE OF TECHNOLOGISTS FOR LABORATORY ANALYSIS REGARDING
SCREENING FOR CERVICAL CANCER.
`(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration and in collaboration with the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall make grants to appropriate
public and nonprofit private entities to provide training to increase the
number of cytotechnologists who are available with respect to screening women
for cervical cancer.
`(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (2), for the purpose of carrying out
this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal
year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
2005 through 2008.
`(2) LIMITATION- The authorization of appropriations established in paragraph
(1) is not effective for a fiscal year unless the amount appropriated under
section 1510(a) for the fiscal year is equal to or greater than $173,928,000.'.
SEC. 4. RESPONSE TO SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL; PROGRAMS OF
NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE.
Section 422(c)(3)(C) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b-4(c)(3)(C))
is amended by inserting after `allied health professionals' the following:
`, with emphasis given in the training of such professionals to the training
of medical laboratory personnel (as defined in section 799B) in medical laboratory
disciplines with respect to which there are needs for increased numbers of
personnel'.
END
