II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3965 

To address the serious health care access barriers, and consequently higher 

incidences of disease, for low-income, uninsured populations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 

Mrs. BOXER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To address the serious health care access barriers, and consequently higher incidences of disease, for low-income, 

uninsured populations. 

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 ‘‘Latina Health Access 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) As of 2006, there are 18,000,000 Latinas 

9 residing in the United States. The number of 

10 Latinas is expected to grow considerably. It is estiVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:14 Sep 30, 2006 Jkt 049196 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3965.IS S3965

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1 mated that by the year 2050, 1 out of every 4 

2 women in the United States will be a Latina. 

3 (2) Latinas are particularly at risk for being 

4 uninsured. 37 percent of Latinas are uninsured, al5 most double the national average. 

6 (3) With respect to sexually transmitted dis7 eases— 

8 (A) the HIV infection rate is 7 times more 

9 for Latinas than their white counterparts, and 

10 Latinas represent 18 percent of new HIV infec11 tions among women; 

12 (B) the AIDS case rate for Latinas is 

13 more than 5 times more than the rate for white 

14 women; 

15 (C) the rate of chlamydia for Latinas is 4 

16 times more than the rate for white women; and 

17 (D) among Latinas, the gonorrhea inci18 dence is nearly double that of white women. 

19 (4) With respect to cancer— 

20 (A) The national incidence rate for cervical 

21 cancer in Latinas over the age of 30 is nearly 

22 double that of non-Latinas; 

23 (B) 1 in 12 Latinas nationwide will de24 velop breast cancer; and 


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1 (C) while white women have the highest 

2 rates of breast cancer, Latinas have among the 

3 lowest rates of breast cancer screening, diag4 nosis and treatment and, as a result, are more 

5 likely to die from breast cancer compared to 

6 white women. 

7 (5) The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2 to 

8 4 times more among Latinas than among white 

9 women. More than 25 percent of Latinas aged 65 to 

10 74 have Type II diabetes. 

11 (6) Heart disease is the main cause of death for 

12 all women, and heart disease risk and death rates 

13 are higher among Latinas partly because of higher 

14 rates of obesity and diabetes. 

15 (7) Therefore, despite their growing numbers, 

16 Latinas continue to face serious health concerns (in17 cluding sexually transmitted diseases, diabetes, and 

18 cancer) that are otherwise preventable, or treatable, 

19 with adequate health access. 

20 SEC. 3. HEALTH ACCESS FOR UNINSURED AND LOW-IN21 COME INDIVIDUALS. 

22 The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et 

23 seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘TITLE XXIX—HEALTH ACCESS 

2 FOR UNINSURED AND LOW3 INCOME INDIVIDUALS 

4 ‘‘SEC. 2901. HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR PREVENTABLE 

5 HEALTH PROBLEMS. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec7 tion, the term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

8 ‘‘(1) a high-performing hospital or community 

9 health center that serves medically underserved 

10 areas with large numbers of uninsured and low-in11 come individuals, such as Latina populations; 

12 ‘‘(2) a State or local government; or 

13 ‘‘(3) a private nonprofit entity. 

14 ‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

15 grants to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to 

16 provide programs and activities that provide health care 

17 services to uninsured and low-income individuals in medi18 cally underserved areas. 

19 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity desiring a 

20 grant under this section shall submit an application to the 

21 Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 

22 such information as the Secretary may require. 

23 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity 

24 receiving a grant under this section shall use grant funds 

25 to carry out programs and activities that provide access 


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1 to care for a full spectrum of preventable and treatable 

2 health care problems in a culturally and linguistically ap3 propriate manner, including— 

4 ‘‘(1) family planning services and information; 

5 ‘‘(2) prenatal and postnatal care; and 

6 ‘‘(3) assistance and services with respect to 

7 asthma, cancer, HIV disease and AIDS, sexually 

8 transmitted diseases, mental health, diabetes, and 

9 heart disease. 

10 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

11 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

12 $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and each succeeding fis13 cal year. 

14 ‘‘SEC. 2902. FOCUS ON UNINSURED AND LOW-INCOME POP15 ULATIONS. 

16 ‘‘(a) PRIORITIZING HEALTH GRANTS TO INCREASE

17 FUNDING EQUITY.—In order to create a more diverse 

18 movement, cultivate new leaders, and address health 

19 issues within medically underserved areas, the Secretary 

20 shall, in awarding grants and other assistance under this 

21 Act, reserve a portion of the grants and assistance for en22 tities that— 

23 ‘‘(1) represent medically underserved areas or 

24 populations with a large number of uninsured and 

25 low-income individuals; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) otherwise meet all requirements for the 

2 grant or assistance. 

3 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH BENEFITTING POPULATIONS WITH

4 A LACK OF HEALTH DATA.— 

5 ‘‘(1) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—From amounts 

6 appropriated under paragraph (3) for a fiscal year, 

7 the Secretary shall award grants to research institu8 tions in order to enable the institutions— 

9 ‘‘(A) to conduct research on the health sta10 tus of populations for which there is an absence 

11 of health data, such as the Latina population; 

12 or 

13 ‘‘(B) to work with organizations that focus 

14 on populations for which there is an absence of 

15 health data, such as the Latina population, on 

16 developing participatory community-based re17 search methods. 

18 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—A research institution de19 siring a grant under this subsection shall submit an 

20 application to the Secretary at such time, in such 

21 manner, and containing such information as the Sec22 retary may require. 

23 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

24 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 


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1 this subsection $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and 

2 each of the succeeding fiscal years. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2903. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. 

4 ‘‘(a) JOINT EFFORT FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.—In 

5 order to improve health outcomes for uninsured and low6 income individuals, the Secretary shall, through a joint ef7 fort with health care professionals, health advocates, and 

8 community-based organizations in medically underserved 

9 areas, provide outreach, education, and delivery of com10 prehensive health services to uninsured and low-income in11 dividuals in a culturally competent manner. 

12 ‘‘(b) TARGETED HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS.— 

13 The Secretary shall carry out a health education program 

14 targeted specifically to populations of uninsured and low15 income individuals, including the Latina population, 

16 through community centered informational forums, public 

17 service announcements, and media campaigns. 

18 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

20 $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and each succeeding fis21 cal year.’’. 

Æ 


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