Bill Summary
The "Medical Student Education Authorization Act of 2023" aims to support and expand education programs for medical students in order to increase the number of primary care physicians serving in medically underserved communities. This bill would establish a grant program to provide funding to accredited public institutions of higher education, with a focus on those located in states with a projected shortage of primary care physicians. The grant funds would be used to support community-based and experiential training for medical students, develop training programs for primary care services, increase faculty capacity, and establish partnerships with Tribal, rural, and medically underserved communities. The bill also includes requirements for follow-up with graduates, recruitment and retention of medical students from underserved communities, and scholarships. The grants would be awarded for a period of 5 years and the bill authorizes $150 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2023 to 2025.
Possible Impacts
1. The establishment of a grant program to support primary health care for medically underserved communities could improve access to healthcare for individuals living in these communities, potentially improving their overall health and well-being.
2. The prioritization of accredited public institutions of higher education that are located in states with a projected shortage of primary care physicians could lead to an increase in the number of medical students who choose to specialize in primary care and work in these underserved areas, helping to address the shortage.
3. The requirement for eligible entities to develop strategic partnerships, such as public-private partnerships, could foster collaboration and innovation in addressing health disparities in underserved communities.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1403 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1403
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to
award grants to accredited public institutions of higher education, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 2, 2023
Mr. Mullin (for himself and Ms. Rosen) 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 establish a grant program to
award grants to accredited public institutions of higher education, and
for other purposes.
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 Student Education
Authorization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. EDUCATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR MEDICALLY
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
Part B of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 742. EDUCATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR
MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration,
shall establish a grant program to award grants to accredited public
institutions of higher education to carry out the activities described
in subsection (d) for the purposes of--
``(1) expanding and supporting education for medical
students who are preparing to become physicians; and
``(2) preparing and encouraging each such student trained
by a grantee to serve in a Tribal, rural, or medically
underserved community as a primary care physician after
completing residency training.
``(b) Eligibility.--In order to be eligible to receive a grant
under this section, an accredited public institution of higher
education shall--
``(1) be located in a State that is in the top quintile of
States by a projected shortage of primary care physicians, as
determined by the Secretary; and
``(2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, that includes--
``(A) a certification that such institution will
use amounts provided to the institution through the
grant to carry out the activities described in
subsection (d); and
``(B) a description of how such institution will
carry out such activities.
``(c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to accredited public institutions of
higher education that meet the eligibility requirements of subsection
(b) and--
``(1) are located in a State with not fewer than 2 Indian
Tribes or Tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act); and
``(2) have established, or demonstrate plans to establish,
a public-private partnership that supports the purposes
described in subsection (a).
``(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall, as appropriate, use the funds made available under
such grant to carry out the following activities:
``(1) Support or expand community-based and experiential
training for medical students who will practice in or serve
Tribal, rural, and medically underserved communities.
``(2) Develop and operate programs to train medical
students in the provision of primary care services, which may
include developing training programs and activities that--
``(A) emphasize care for Tribal, rural, or
medically underserved communities;
``(B) are applicable to primary care practice with
respect to individuals from Tribal, rural, or medically
underserved communities;
``(C) support the use of telehealth technologies
and practices;
``(D) integrate mental health and substance use
disorder care into primary care practice, including
prevention and treatment of opioid use disorders and
other substance use disorders; and
``(E) promote interdisciplinary training.
``(3) Increase the capacity of faculty to develop and
operate programs described in paragraph (2).
``(4) Develop or expand strategic partnerships, such as
public-private partnerships, to improve health outcomes for
individuals from Tribal, rural, and medically underserved
communities, which partnerships may include--
``(A) federally recognized Tribes, Tribal Colleges
or Universities (as such term is defined in section 316
of the Higher Education Act of 1965), and Tribal
organizations (as such term is defined in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act);
``(B) Federally-qualified health centers;
``(C) rural health clinics;
``(D) health facilities or programs operated by or
in accordance with a contract or grant with the Indian
Health Service; and
``(E) primary care clinics.
``(5) Develop a plan, as appropriate, for followup with
graduates, including with respect to specialties, as
applicable.
``(6) Develop, implement, and evaluate methods to improve
recruitment and retention of medical students from Tribal,
rural, and medically underserved communities.
``(7) Train and support instructors to serve Tribal, rural,
and medically underserved communities.
``(8) Prepare medical students for transition into primary
care residency training and future practice.
``(9) Provide scholarships to medical students.
``(e) Grant Period.--A grant under this section shall be awarded
for a period of not more than 5 years.
``(f) Grant Amount.--Each fiscal year, the amount of a grant made
to an eligible entity under this section shall be not less than
$1,000,000.
``(g) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary shall, as appropriate,
require that an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section
provide non-Federal matching funds, which may be in cash or in kind, in
an amount equal to or greater than 10 percent of the total amount of
Federal funds provided through the grant each fiscal year.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $150,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2025.''.
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