I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2126

To recognize the importance of the Veterans’ Administration Medical School 

Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 in addressing 

shortfalls in the number of physicians and other health care professionals 

employed in the health care system of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, to reauthorize the program of grants to medical schools affiliated 

with the Department, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2003

Mr. EDWARDS (for himself, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. RAHALL, and Mr. HOBSON) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To recognize the importance of the Veterans’ Administration 

Medical School Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 in addressing shortfalls in the number 

of physicians and other health care professionals employed in the health care system of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, to reauthorize the program of grants 

to medical schools affiliated with the Department, and 

for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2

•HR 2126 IH 

1 SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teague Grant Reau3 thorization Act’’. 

4 SECTION 2. SUCCESS OF VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION 

5 MEDICAL SCHOOL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH 

6 MANPOWER TRAINING ACT OF 1972 IN ALLE7 VIATING SHORTAGES OF HEALTH CARE PRO8 FESSIONALS. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

10 (1) A severe shortage in the number of physi11 cians and other health care professionals in the 

12 United States is predicted for the next two decades, 

13 as a result of a substantial growth in demand for 

14 medical services compared with the number of med15 ical school graduates, foreign doctors in the United 

16 States, and other health care professionals available 

17 to meet that demand. 

18 (2) Recent studies based on current trends pre19 dict a national shortage of up to 50,000 physicians 

20 by 2010 and up to 200,000 physicians by 2020. 

21 (3) The passage and funding of the Veterans’ 

22 Administration Medical School Assistance and 

23 Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 (Public Law 

24 92–541), which added chapter 82 to title 38, United 

25 States Code, helped to prevent a predicted shortage 

26 of physicians and other health care professionals in 
3

•HR 2126 IH 

1 the 1970s and 1980s, and resulted in the establish2 ment of five new medical schools in the United 

3 States, at East Tennessee State University, the Uni4 versity of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, 

5 Wright State University, and Marshall University, 

6 each operated in conjunction with health care facili7 ties of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

8 (4) Over the past three decades, the partner9 ships between the Department of Veterans Affairs 

10 and those five medical schools not only helped pre11 vent such a physician shortage, but also fostered sig12 nificant gains in the quality of physician education, 

13 medical research, and health care delivery. 

14 (5) Physicians and other health care profes15 sionals educated in those medical schools have bene16 fited from the rich and diverse educational experi17 ences available in veterans’ health care facilities. 

18 (6) Veterans and their families have benefited 

19 from medical care that is enhanced by faculty physi20 cians, residency training, and comprehensive medical 

21 education that is available in veterans health care 

22 facilities affiliated with those medical schools. 

23 (b) RECOGNITION.—Congress hereby recognizes—

24 (1) the 30th anniversary of the enactment of 

25 the Veterans’ Administration Medical School Assist-
4

•HR 2126 IH 

1 ance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 

2 (Public Law 92–541); 

3 (2) the critical and historic role played by that 

4 Act towards alleviating the shortfall in the number 

5 of physicians and other health care professionals; 

6 and 

7 (3) the importance of continued growth in the 

8 partnerships between the Department of Veterans 

9 Affairs and medical schools affiliated with the De10 partment. 

11 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE AND DESIGNATION OF 

12 GRANTS. 

13 Section 8221 of title 38, United States Code, is 

14 amended—

15 (1) by striking ‘‘and to cooperate’’ and all that 

16 follows through ‘‘such subchapter’’ and inserting ‘‘to 

17 address shortfalls in the number of physicians and 

18 other health care professionals employed in the Vet19 erans Health Administration’’; and 

20 (2) by adding at the end the following new sen21 tence: ‘‘Grants under this subchapter shall be known 

22 as ‘Teague Grants’ in honor of the most-decorated 

23 veteran ever to have served in Congress, the Honor24 able Olin E. ‘Tiger’ Teague of Texas.’’. 
5

•HR 2126 IH 

1 SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS TO 

2 AFFILIATED MEDICAL SCHOOLS. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

4 8222 of title 38, United States Code, is amended––

5 (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 

6 following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(a) There is authorized to be appropriated for car8 rying out programs authorized under this subchapter 

9 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009.’’; 

10 and 

11 (2) by striking subsection (c). 

12 (b) CRITERIA FOR GRANTS.—Subsection (b) of sec13 tion 8223 of such title is amended—

14 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the 

15 semicolon the following: ‘‘and will increase the num16 ber of medical or nursing students attending the 

17 school’’; 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

19 (3); 

20 (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para21 graph (5); and 

22 (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol23 lowing new paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(4) the application sets forth demonstrated 

25 benefits to the Department and to the care of vet26 erans; and’’. 
6

•HR 2126 IH 

1 (c) PRIORITY OF GRANT AWARDS.—Such section is 

2 further amended by adding at the end the following new 

3 subsection: 

4 ‘‘(c) The Secretary shall give priority in the award 

5 of grants under this section to the medical schools estab6 lished pursuant to subchapter I.’’.

Æ
2

•HR 2126 IH 

1 SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teague Grant Reau3 thorization Act’’. 

4 SECTION 2. SUCCESS OF VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION 

5 MEDICAL SCHOOL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH 

6 MANPOWER TRAINING ACT OF 1972 IN ALLE7 VIATING SHORTAGES OF HEALTH CARE PRO8 FESSIONALS. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

10 (1) A severe shortage in the number of physi11 cians and other health care professionals in the 

12 United States is predicted for the next two decades, 

13 as a result of a substantial growth in demand for 

14 medical services compared with the number of med15 ical school graduates, foreign doctors in the United 

16 States, and other health care professionals available 

17 to meet that demand. 

18 (2) Recent studies based on current trends pre19 dict a national shortage of up to 50,000 physicians 

20 by 2010 and up to 200,000 physicians by 2020. 

21 (3) The passage and funding of the Veterans’ 

22 Administration Medical School Assistance and 

23 Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 (Public Law 

24 92–541), which added chapter 82 to title 38, United 

25 States Code, helped to prevent a predicted shortage 

26 of physicians and other health care professionals in 
3

•HR 2126 IH 

1 the 1970s and 1980s, and resulted in the establish2 ment of five new medical schools in the United 

3 States, at East Tennessee State University, the Uni4 versity of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, 

5 Wright State University, and Marshall University, 

6 each operated in conjunction with health care facili7 ties of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

8 (4) Over the past three decades, the partner9 ships between the Department of Veterans Affairs 

10 and those five medical schools not only helped pre11 vent such a physician shortage, but also fostered sig12 nificant gains in the quality of physician education, 

13 medical research, and health care delivery. 

14 (5) Physicians and other health care profes15 sionals educated in those medical schools have bene16 fited from the rich and diverse educational experi17 ences available in veterans’ health care facilities. 

18 (6) Veterans and their families have benefited 

19 from medical care that is enhanced by faculty physi20 cians, residency training, and comprehensive medical 

21 education that is available in veterans health care 

22 facilities affiliated with those medical schools. 

23 (b) RECOGNITION.—Congress hereby recognizes—

24 (1) the 30th anniversary of the enactment of 

25 the Veterans’ Administration Medical School Assist-
4

•HR 2126 IH 

1 ance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 

2 (Public Law 92–541); 

3 (2) the critical and historic role played by that 

4 Act towards alleviating the shortfall in the number 

5 of physicians and other health care professionals; 

6 and 

7 (3) the importance of continued growth in the 

8 partnerships between the Department of Veterans 

9 Affairs and medical schools affiliated with the De10 partment. 

11 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE AND DESIGNATION OF 

12 GRANTS. 

13 Section 8221 of title 38, United States Code, is 

14 amended—

15 (1) by striking ‘‘and to cooperate’’ and all that 

16 follows through ‘‘such subchapter’’ and inserting ‘‘to 

17 address shortfalls in the number of physicians and 

18 other health care professionals employed in the Vet19 erans Health Administration’’; and 

20 (2) by adding at the end the following new sen21 tence: ‘‘Grants under this subchapter shall be known 

22 as ‘Teague Grants’ in honor of the most–decorated 

23 veteran ever to have served in Congress, the Honor24 able Olin E. ‘Tiger’ Teague of Texas.’’. 
5

•HR 2126 IH 

1 SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS TO 

2 AFFILIATED MEDICAL SCHOOLS. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

4 8222 of title 38, United States Code, is amended––

5 (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 

6 following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(a) There is authorized to be appropriated for car8 rying out programs authorized under this subchapter 

9 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009.’’; 

10 and 

11 (2) by striking subsection (c). 

12 (b) CRITERIA FOR GRANTS.—Subsection (b) of sec13 tion 8223 of such title is amended—

14 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the 

15 semicolon the following: ‘‘and will increase the num16 ber of medical or nursing students attending the 

17 school’’; 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

19 (3); 

20 (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para21 graph (5); and 

22 (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol23 lowing new paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(4) the application sets forth demonstrated 

25 benefits to the Department and to the care of vet26 erans; and’’. 
6

•HR 2126 IH 

1 (c) PRIORITY OF GRANT AWARDS.—Such section is 

2 further amended by adding at the end the following new 

3 subsection: 

4 ‘‘(c) The Secretary shall give priority in the award 

5 of grants under this section to the medical schools estab6 lished pursuant to subchapter I.’’.

Æ