Strengthening our Pediatric Workforce Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1656 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to support initia- tives focused on addressing pediatric public health disparities in children’s hospitals graduate medical education programs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 8, 2019 Mr. SMUCKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to support initiatives focused on addressing pediatric public health disparities in children’s hospitals graduate medical education programs. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening our Pe- 4 diatric Workforce Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 The Congress makes the following findings: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1656.IH H1656 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1656 IH (1) Our Nation is facing a critical physician 1 shortage. 2 (2) The predicted supply of pediatric medical 3 specialists is not expected to meet demand over the 4 next ten years, which may make it more difficult to 5 provide children with complex or special health con- 6 ditions the care they need. 7 (3) Research reflects that poverty can have a 8 negative impact on the long-term care outcomes of 9 children. Poverty conditions can contribute to poor 10 nutrition, chronic illness, obesity and delayed devel- 11 opment. Ensuring pediatric physicians incorporate 12 anti-poverty initiatives into their medical training 13 can help improve the health of children living in pov- 14 erty. 15 (4) The purpose of this Act is to provide addi- 16 tional assistance to the Children’s Hospital Graduate 17 Medical Education (CHGME) program for the pur- 18 pose of incorporating initiatives to address pediatric 19 health disparities. 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1656.IH H1656 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1656 IH SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE PEDIATRIC 1 ANTI-POVERTY INITIATIVES INTO RESIDENT 2 TRAINING. 3 Section 340E of the Public Health Service Act (42 4 U.S.C. 256e) is amended by adding at the end the fol- 5 lowing new subsection: 6 ‘‘(i) GRANT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE PEDIATRIC 7 ANTI-POVERTY INITIATIVES INTO RESIDENT TRAIN- 8 ING.— 9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 10 through the Administrator of the Health Resources 11 and Services Administration, may, for a year (begin- 12 ning with 2020), make grants to children’s hospitals 13 described in paragraph (2) with approved graduate 14 medical residency training programs that are other- 15 wise receiving funding under this section for such 16 year, for the startup costs associated with developing 17 and incorporating initiatives that address pediatric 18 health disparities, including access to care, poverty, 19 opioid overuse, food insecurity, and child abuse. 20 ‘‘(2) CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS DESCRIBED.—For 21 purposes of this subsection, a children’s hospital de- 22 scribed in this paragraph is, with respect to a year, 23 a children’s hospital that is— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1656.IH H1656 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1656 IH ‘‘(A) located in an area designated as a 1 health professional shortage area under section 2 332; 3 ‘‘(B) receiving payments pursuant to sub- 4 section (h) for such year; and 5 ‘‘(C) not receiving a bonus payment under 6 subsection (h)(6)(B) for such year. 7 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 8 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 9 this subsection, not more than $10,000,000 for each 10 of fiscal years 2020 through 2027.’’. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1656.IH H1656 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS