I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4282

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment

of toll-free telephone communications through which residents of rural

areas can obtain information on the availability in such areas of health

services.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 21, 1994

Ms. ENGLISH of Arizona 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 for

the establishment of toll-free telephone communications

through which residents of rural areas can obtain information on the availability in such areas of health

services.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Rural Health

5 Information Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM TO PROVIDE

2 HEALTH SERVICES INFORMATION TO RESI3 DENTS OF RURAL AREAS.

4 Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42

5 U.S.C. 254r) is amended—

6 (1) by redesignating subsections (i) through (k)

7 as subsections (j) through (l), respectively; and

8 (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the follow9 ing subsection:

10 ‘‘(i) SEPARATE PROGRAM REGARDING RURAL

11 HEALTH TELEPHONE HOTLINES.—

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting

13 through the Director of the Office of Rural Health

14 Policy, may make grants to States for the purpose

15 of establishing and operating toll-free telephone com16 munications through which individuals residing in

17 rural areas of the State can obtain information on

18 the availability to the individuals of health services.

19 ‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may

20 make a grant under paragraph (1) only if the State

21 involved agrees that the grant will be administered

22 through the office of rural health of the State.

23 ‘‘(3) CERTAIN INFORMATION.—The Secretary

24 may make a grant under paragraph (1) only if the

25 State involved agrees as follows:
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1 ‘‘(A) Information available to individuals

2 under such paragraph will include information

3 on particular health professionals, including,

4 with respect to the professionals involved, the

5 following: Name and address (and instructions

6 for locating the address); telephone number; of7 fice hours; the available types of services; and

8 the forms of payment accepted (including a

9 specification regarding health insurance policies

10 and plans, and participation of the professionals

11 in Federal and State health programs).

12 ‘‘(B)(i) Information available to individuals

13 under such paragraph will include information

14 on the availability of the following services: Pre15 ventive care (including routine screenings and

16 including immunizations against vaccine-pre17 ventable diseases); prenatal care; counseling for

18 the abuse of alcohol and drugs; other health-re19 lated counseling; domestic violence; sexual

20 abuse; and such other matters as the Secretary

21 may specify.

22 ‘‘(ii) The information available under

23 clause (i) will be designed for the rural area in24 volved, with consideration of the particular

25 health status of the residents of the area.’’.
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1 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 338J(k) of the Public

3 Health Service Act, as redesignated by section 2 of this

4 Act, is amended—

5 (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para6 graph (3);

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the follow8 ing paragraph:

9 ‘‘(2) RURAL HEALTH HOTLINES.—For the pur10 pose of making grants under subsection (i), there

11 are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for fis12 cal year 1995, $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1996, and

13 $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1997.’’; and

14 (3) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by

15 striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘this sub16 section’’.

17 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 338J(l) of

18 the Public Health Service Act, as redesignated by section

19 2 of this Act, is amended—

20 (1) by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting

21 ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and

22 (2) by striking ‘‘subsection (j)(1)’’ and inserting

23 ‘‘subsection (k)(1)’’.

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