Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1659 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of pediatric subspecialists in the National Health Service Corps program, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 23 (legislative day, MAY 22), 2019 Mr. BLUNT (for himself and Mr. REED) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of pediatric subspecialists in the Na- tional Health Service Corps program, and for other pur- poses. 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 ‘‘Ensuring Children’s 4 Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:01 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1659.IS S1659 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 1659 IS SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF PEDIATRIC SUBSPECIALTIES IN 1 NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS. 2 (a) PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES DEFINITION.—Sec- 3 tion 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 4 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(and pe- 5 diatric subspecialties and special qualifications in pediat- 6 rics)’’ after ‘‘pediatrics’’. 7 (b) BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFES- 8 SIONALS DEFINITION.—Section 331(a)(3)(E)(i) of the 9 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(E)(i)) 10 is amended by inserting ‘‘(including pediatric subspecial- 11 ists thereof)’’ after ‘‘psychiatrists’’. 12 (c) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS.— 13 Section 332(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 14 U.S.C. 254e(a)) is amended— 15 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘(includ- 16 ing such a population group of children and adoles- 17 cents)’’ after ‘‘shortage’’; and 18 (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘pediatric 19 subspecialty medical residency or fellowship training 20 site,’’ after ‘‘health department,’’. 21 (d) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.—Subparagraph 22 (B) of section 338B(b)(1) of the Public Health Service 23 Act (42 U.S.C. 254l–1(b)(1)) is amended by inserting 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:01 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1659.IS S1659 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 1659 IS ‘‘(including a pediatric subspecialty residency or fellowship 1 training program)’’ before the semicolon. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:01 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1659.IS S1659 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS