IIB 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1237 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 9, 2008 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

AN ACT 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide revised 

standards for quality assurance in screening and evaluation of gynecologic cytology preparations, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cytology Proficiency 

3 Improvement Act of 2008’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REVISED STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN 

5 SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF 

6 GYNECOLOGIC CYTOLOGY PREPARATIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the 

8 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)) 

9 is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(iv) requirements that each clinical 

11 laboratory— 

12 ‘‘(I) ensure that all individuals 

13 involved in screening and interpreting 

14 cytological preparations at the labora15 tory participate annually in a con16 tinuing medical education program in 

17 gynecologic cytology that— 

18 ‘‘(aa) is approved by the Ac19 crediting Council for Continuing 

20 Medical Education or the Amer21 ican Academy of Continuing 

22 Medical Education; and 

23 ‘‘(bb) provides each indi24 vidual participating in the pro25 gram with gynecologic cytological 

26 preparations (in the form of refVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:48 Apr 10, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1237.RFS H1237

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HR 1237 RFS 

1 erenced glass slides or equivalent 

2 technologies) designed to improve 

3 the locator, recognition, and in4 terpretive skills of the individual; 

5 ‘‘(II) maintain a record of the cy6 tology continuing medical education 

7 program results for each individual in8 volved in screening and interpreting 

9 cytological preparations at the labora10 tory; 

11 ‘‘(III) provide that the laboratory 

12 director shall take into account such 

13 results and other performance metrics 

14 in reviewing the performance of indi15 viduals involved in screening and in16 terpreting cytological preparations at 

17 the laboratory and, when necessary, 

18 identify needs for remedial training or 

19 a corrective action plan to improve 

20 skills; and 

21 ‘‘(IV) submit the continuing edu22 cation program results for each indi23 vidual and, if appropriate, plans for 

24 corrective action or remedial training 

25 in a timely manner to the laboratory’s 


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1 accrediting organization for purposes 

2 of review and on-going monitoring by 

3 the accrediting organization, including 

4 reviews of the continuing medical edu5 cation program results during on-site 

6 inspections of the laboratory.’’. 

7 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE AND IMPLEMENTATION; TER8 MINATION OF CURRENT PROGRAM OF INDIVIDUAL PRO9 FICIENCY TESTING.— 

10 (1) EFFECTIVE DATE AND IMPLEMENTATION.— 

11 Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amend12 ment made by subsection (a) applies to gynecologic 

13 cytology services provided on or after the first day 

14 of the first calendar year beginning 1 year or more 

15 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and the 

16 Secretary of Health and Human Services (hereafter 

17 in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 

18 shall issue final regulations implementing such 

19 amendment not later than 270 days after such date 

20 of enactment. 

21 (2) TERMINATION OF CURRENT INDIVIDUAL

22 TESTING PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 

23 Human Services shall terminate the individual pro24 ficiency testing program established pursuant to sec25 tion 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the Public Health Service 


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1 Act (42 U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)), as in effect on 

2 the day before the date of the enactment of sub3 section (a), at the end of the calendar year which in4 cludes the date of enactment of the amendment 

5 made by subsection (a). 

Passed the House of Representatives April 8, 2008. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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