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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 850 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 850

     To establish the Global Health Corps, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2005

 Mr. Frist (for himself and Mr. Lugar) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
     To establish the Global Health Corps, 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 ``Global Health Corps Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. GLOBAL HEALTH CORPS.

    Title II of the Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

                     ``Part D--Global Health Corps

``SEC. 271. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Agency.--The term `Agency' means the United States 
        Agency for International Development.
            ``(2) Candidate.--The term `candidate' means an individual 
        described in section 273(d).
            ``(3) Corps.--Except as otherwise provided, the term 
        `Corps' means the Global Health Corps established under section 
        273(a).
            ``(4) Department.--Except as otherwise provided, the term 
        `Department' means the Department of Health and Human Services.
            ``(5) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
        the Global Health Corps described in section 272(a)(3).
            ``(6) Office.--The term `Office' means the Office of the 
        Global Health Corps established under section 272(a)(1).
            ``(7) Participant.--The term `participant' means a member 
        of the Corps as described in section 273(e).

``SEC. 272. OFFICE OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH CORPS.

    ``(a) Office of the Global Health Corps.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Department an Office of the Global Health Corps to assist in 
        improving the health, welfare, and development of communities 
        in foreign countries and regions through the provision of 
        health care personnel, items, and related services.
            ``(2) Purposes.--The purposes of the Office are--
                    ``(A) to expand the availability of health care 
                personnel, items, and related services to improve the 
                health, welfare, and development of communities in 
                select foreign countries and regions;
                    ``(B) to promote United States public diplomacy in 
                such foreign countries and regions by matching the 
                needs of such communities with the services available 
                from the Global Health Corps;
                    ``(C) to provide for the effective management and 
                administration of the Global Health Corps; and
                    ``(D) to coordinate, unify, strengthen, and focus 
                the provision of health care personnel, items, and 
                related services to foreign countries and regions by 
                departments, agencies, and offices of the United 
                States, by non-Federal volunteers, and by private 
                voluntary organizations.
            ``(3) Director.--The head of the Office shall be the 
        Director of the Global Health Corps, who shall be appointed by, 
        and report directly to, the Secretary.
    ``(b) Functions of the Office.--The functions of the Office include 
the following:
            ``(1) Recruiting individuals to serve in the Corps, 
        including distributing recruiting information to colleges, 
        universities, hospitals, clinics, and nongovernmental 
        organizations. Such individuals may include those with 
        fellowship or scholarship support from private or public 
        institutions and organizations.
            ``(2) Processing applications for enrollment in the Corps.
            ``(3) Verifying the training and credentials of candidates 
        seeking to participate in the Corps.
            ``(4) Reviewing requests for Corps personnel and services 
        made by the head of a United States mission, a foreign country, 
        a nongovernmental organization, an agency of the Government of 
        the United States or other person, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(5) Matching the skills of participants with the requests 
        for health care personnel, items, and related services 
        described in paragraph (4) to provide such services effectively 
        and efficiently.
            ``(6) Providing administrative support and management for 
        the Corps, including--
                    ``(A) assisting candidates in the application and 
                training process, as appropriate;
                    ``(B) facilitating the travel of participants to 
                foreign countries and regions and the work of 
                participants in foreign countries and regions;
                    ``(C) ensuring participants have appropriate legal 
                protections and immunities through mechanisms including 
                bilateral agreements with agencies, organizations, or 
                countries receiving participants, hiring non-Federal 
                volunteers as intermittent Federal employees, or 
                providing participants status as employees of the 
                Government of the United States for the purposes of 
                such protections, as appropriate;
                    ``(D) providing strategic guidance and policy for 
                the human resources management of the Corps;
                    ``(E) carrying out activities to retain 
                participants in the Corps, including maintaining 
a database of current and former participants; and
                    ``(F) ensuring participants have appropriate 
                health, security, and cultural training prior to 
                arriving in a foreign country.
            ``(7) Serving as a liaison between the Corps and other 
        appropriate persons or government agencies, including--
                    ``(A) leading or participating in interagency 
                working groups, as appropriate;
                    ``(B) coordinating the activities of the Corps with 
                activities carried out by other bureaus of the 
                Department and by the Agency, the Department of 
                Defense, the Department of State, the Peace Corps, and 
                other executive department, as appropriate, to advance 
                and promote the purpose and activities of the Corps as 
                effectively and efficiently as possible;
                    ``(C) meeting routinely with representatives from 
                the Agency, the Peace Corps, the National Disaster 
                Medical System, the Medical Reserve Corps, the Office 
                of Force Readiness and Deployment, Volunteers for 
                Prosperity, the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance 
                of the Agency, the Bureau of Global Health Affairs of 
                the Agency, the Coordinator of United States Government 
                Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally, and others, as 
                appropriate, to improve the health, welfare, and 
                development of communities in foreign countries and 
                regions through the provision of health care personnel, 
                items, and related services on a short-term or long-
                term basis; and
                    ``(D) maintaining contact with appropriate 
                international organizations to carry out the purpose of 
                the Corps and with foreign governments that are current 
                or prospective recipients of services provided by the 
                Corps.
            ``(8) Providing participants with appropriate training and 
        equipment, including--
                    ``(A) ensuring participants have the appropriate 
                medical equipment, supplies, and other resources 
                necessary to provide health care services under austere 
                and challenging conditions while serving in the Corps; 
                and
                    ``(B) establishing, managing, and directing any 
                training provided under section 274(e).
            ``(9) Maintaining contact with participants during their 
        service in the Corps.
            ``(10) Establishing performance objectives for the Corps, 
        and appropriate metrics to assess the performance of the Corps 
        in achieving its purposes, consistent with this part, and 
        assessing the performance of the Office in achieving its 
        purposes, consistent with section 272.
            ``(11) Submitting to Congress an annual report on the 
        objectives and metrics described in paragraph (10) and on the 
        Corps performance in meeting such objectives.

``SEC. 273. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH CORPS.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of State, shall establish a Global Health Corps.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Corps is to improve the health, 
welfare, and development of communities in select foreign countries and 
regions, to advance United States public diplomacy in such locations, 
and to provide individuals in the United States with the opportunity to 
serve such communities by providing a broad range of needed health care 
and related services in such communities.
    ``(c) Composition of the Corps.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Corps shall include the following 
        components:
                    ``(A) Volunteers who are not employees of the 
                Government of the United States or enrolled in the 
                Peace Corps.
                    ``(B) Employees of the Government of the United 
                States.
                    ``(C) Peace Corps volunteers who participate in the 
                Corps under section 5A of the Peace Corps Act.
                    ``(D) The Director and any staff of the Office.
                    ``(E) Any other individual that the Director 
                determines is appropriate to include in the Corps.
    ``(d) Candidate.--An individual may be a candidate for the Corps if 
such individual meets the following:
            ``(1) Non-federal volunteer.--A individual who--
                    ``(A)(i) is a citizen or national of the United 
                States; or
                    ``(ii) is a resident of the United States, at the 
                discretion of the Secretary;
                    ``(B) is not an employee of the Government of the 
                United States;
                    ``(C)(i) is a trained health care professional and 
                meets the educational and licensure requirements 
                necessary to be such a professional, including a 
                physician, nurse, dentist, veterinarian, or other 
                professional determined to be appropriate by the 
                Director; or
                    ``(ii) is a trained health care practitioner or 
                other professional that meets the educational 
                requirements determined to be appropriate by the 
                Secretary; and
                    ``(D) is seeking membership in the Corps and is 
                willing to work under austere and challenging 
                conditions.
            ``(2) Federal employee.--A citizen, national, or resident 
        of the United States who--
                    ``(A) is an employee of the Government of the 
                United States;
                    ``(B) meets the requirements of clause (i) or (ii) 
                of paragraph (1)(C); and
                    ``(C) is seeking membership in the Corps, or is 
                designated as a candidate by the head of the executive 
                department that employs such citizen, national, or 
                resident.
            ``(3) Peace corps volunteer.--A citizen or national of the 
        United States who--
                    ``(A) is a Peace Corp volunteer;
                    ``(B)(i) meets the requirements of clause (i) or 
                (ii) of paragraph (1)(C); or
                    ``(ii) is qualified to participate in the 
                comprehensive training program established under 
                section 274(e)(2), as determined by the Director; and
                    ``(C) is seeking enrollment in the Corps.
    ``(e) Membership in the Corps.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director may--
                    ``(A) enroll and accept the services of candidates 
                who are not employees of the Government of the United 
                States in the Corps, without regard to section 1342 of 
                title 31, United States Code;
                    ``(B) designate candidates who are employees of the 
                Government of the United States as members of the 
                Corps, with the approval of the head of the executive 
                department that employs such employee; and
                    ``(C) accept details or assignments of employees of 
                the Government of the United States to serve in the 
                Corps on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis.
            ``(2) Application.--The Director shall establish procedures 
        for individuals to submit applications for enrollment in the 
        Corps.

``SEC. 274. FUNCTIONS AND TRAINING OF THE CORPS.

    ``(a) In General.--Participants shall be available to provide the 
services described in subsection (b) to individuals and communities in 
the locations described in subsection (c).
    ``(b) Services.--Subject to subsection (f), the services referred 
to in subsection (a) are services, including assistance and training, 
provided to individuals and communities to carry out the purpose of the 
Corps, including the provision of--
            ``(1) health care items and related services, including 
        dental care;
            ``(2) preventive care, treatment, and services;
            ``(3) veterinary and related services;
            ``(4) sanitation, hygiene, food preparation, and clean 
        water training;
            ``(5) disease surveillance and basic health care services 
        to individuals and communities affected by diseases or 
        illnesses as identified by the Director;
            ``(6) education and training related to the services 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (5);
            ``(7) education and training to local persons to improve 
        health care outcomes, and to assist in the development of local 
        and indigenous health care delivery capacity and self-
        sufficiency; and
            ``(8) other health care items and related services 
        determined to be appropriate by the Director, including health 
        care training, health systems development, and technical 
        support.
    ``(c) Locations.--The Director is authorized to provide, with the 
concurrence of the Secretary of State, the services described in 
subsection (b) to individuals and communities in a foreign country or 
region if--
            ``(1) the Secretary of State has determined that such 
        country or region is in need of such services; and
            ``(2) the Secretary of State has determined that the 
        provision of such services may help promote a better 
        understanding of the people of the United States on the part of 
        the peoples served in such a foreign country or region.
    ``(d) Placement of Participants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director shall decide on the 
        placement of a participant in a foreign country or region 
        described in subsection (c) after--
                    ``(A) determining that the location or organization 
                is in need of the services provided by the Corps in 
                which the participant has expertise and training;
                    ``(B) consulting with the Secretary of State on the 
                extent to which the placement of the participant in a 
                particular location or organization advances the 
                foreign policy and public diplomacy objectives of the 
                United States; and
                    ``(C) considering the skills, qualifications, and 
                availability of the participant.
            ``(2) Required consultation.--The Director shall, prior to 
        placing a participant in a foreign country or region, consult 
        with--
                    ``(A) the head of the executive department that 
                employs the participant, if the participant is an 
                employee of the Government of the United States;
                    ``(B) the United States Ambassador to such foreign 
                country; and
                    ``(C) the head of any executive department that is 
                providing health care or related services in such 
                foreign country.
    ``(e) Training.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
        appropriate training programs are available, including the 
        comprehensive training program described in paragraph (2) and 
        appropriate health, security, and cultural training for 
        participants, to prepare participants to provide the services 
        described in subsection (b).
            ``(2) Comprehensive training program.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--The Director shall establish 
                and carry out a program, either separately or jointly 
                with a Federal, public, or private sector health care 
                provider or health care institution, to provide members 
                of Corps selected by the Director training in a variety 
                of health care disciplines, including basic medical, 
                dental, public health, nursing, epidemiological 
                services, and veterinary care.
                    ``(B) Training provided.--The program established 
                under subparagraph (A) shall be designed by the 
                Director, in consultation with the Secretary, 
                Administrator of the Agency, the Secretary of 
                Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
                State and the Director of the Peace Corps, to provide 
                comprehensive basic training for a period of not more 
                than 6 months to each participant who is a member of 
the Peace Corps and each other participant that the Director determines 
is appropriate to enable such participant to provide the services 
described in subsection (b), including training in a variety of health 
care disciplines, including basic medical, dental, public health, 
nursing, epidemiological service, and veterinary care.
                    ``(C) Reimbursement.--The Director is authorized to 
                permit a participant who is not a member of the Peace 
                Corps to receive training in the program established 
                under subparagraph (A) on a reimbursable basis, unless 
                determined otherwise by the Secretary.
                    ``(D) Program model.--The program established under 
                subparagraph (A) should be modeled on successful public 
                and private programs, including the Joint Special 
                Operations Medical Training Center program conducted by 
                the Department of Defense and those conducted by 
                various medical and nursing schools around the country.
                    ``(E) Prohibition on participation in similar 
                training.--A participant may not participate in the 
                Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center 
                program conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
            ``(3) Service requirement.--
                    ``(A) Non-federal volunteers.--A participant who is 
                not an employee of the Government of the United States 
                or a Peace Corps volunteer and who attends a training 
                program established under paragraph (1), other than the 
                training program established under paragraph (2), shall 
                be obligated to complete the amount of service in the 
                Corps, commensurate with the type and amount of 
                training received, that the Secretary determines is 
                appropriate.
                    ``(B) All participants.--A participant who attends 
                the training program established under paragraph (2) 
                shall be obligated to complete the amount of service in 
                the Corps, commensurate with the type and amount of 
                training received, that the Secretary deems 
                appropriate. Such service shall be at the discretion of 
                the Director, during any 5-year period, and in a manner 
                consistent with this part and with the concurrence of 
                the Director of the Peace Corps if such participant is 
                a Peace Corps volunteer.
    ``(f) Prohibition.--A member of the Corps may not carry out an 
activity under this part if--
            ``(1) section 104(f) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
        (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)) prohibits providing funding for such 
        activity; or
            ``(2) any provision of the annual Foreign Operations, 
        Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act that 
        relates to abortion prohibits providing assistance for such 
        activity.

``SEC. 275. PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    ``(a) Compensation of Participants.--
            ``(1) Non-federal volunteers.--A participant who is not an 
        employee of the Government of the United States or a Peace 
        Corps volunteer shall serve in the Corps without compensation 
        from the Government of the United States to either the 
        participant or to any other person.
            ``(2) Federal employees.--A participant who is an officer 
        or employee of the Government of the United States shall serve 
        without compensation in addition to that received for their 
        services as officers or employees of the United States.
            ``(3) Peace corps volunteers.--A participant who is a Peace 
        Corps volunteer shall serve without compensation in addition to 
        that received for their services in the Peace Corps under the 
        Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.).
    ``(b) Travel Expenses.--
            ``(1) Non-federal volunteers.--The Director may provide a 
        participant who is a not an employee of the Government of the 
        United States or a Peace Corps volunteer travel expenses, 
        excluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 
        for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of 
        title 5, United States Code, while such participant is serving 
        in the Corps.
            ``(2) Federal employees.--The Director shall provide a 
        participant who is an employee of the Government of the United 
        States travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business 
        in the performance of services for the Corps.
            ``(3) Peace corps volunteers.--The Director may not provide 
        a participant who is a Peace Corps volunteer travel expenses in 
        addition to such expenses provided for under the Peace Corp Act 
        (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.).
    ``(c) Applicability of Laws to Non-Federal Volunteers.--
            ``(1) In general.--A member of the Corps who is not an 
        employee of the Government of the United States or a Peace 
        Corps volunteer may not be considered an employee of the 
        Government of the United States, except for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) section 272(b)(6)(C);
                    ``(B) chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code 
                (relating to compensation for work-related injuries); 
                and
                    ``(C) chapter 11 of title 18, United States Code 
                (relating to conflicts of interest).
            ``(2) Volunteer protection act of 1997.--
                    ``(A) Volunteer status.--A member of the Corps who 
                is not an employee of the United States or a Peace 
                Corps volunteer shall be deemed to be a volunteer for a 
                nonprofit organization or governmental entity for the 
                purposes of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (42 
                U.S.C. 14501 et seq.).
                    ``(B) Inapplicability of exceptions.--Section 4(d) 
                of such Act (42 U.S.C. 14503(d)) may not apply to a 
                member of the Corps who is not an employee of the 
United States or a Peace Corps volunteer.
    ``(d) Terms and Conditions.--With respect to the membership of a 
candidate in the Corps, the terms and conditions of the enrollment, 
training, compensation, hours of work, benefits, leave, termination, 
and all other terms and conditions of the service of such participant 
shall be exclusively those set forth in this part and those consistent 
with such terms and conditions which the Secretary may prescribe.
    ``(e) Termination.--The membership in the Corps of a participant 
may be terminated at any time at the pleasure of the Director.

``SEC. 276. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE MEMBERS IN THE GLOBAL HEALTH CORPS.

    ``(a) Authority To Enroll.--A member of the Service may enroll in 
the Corps and provide services as a member of the Corps described in 
this part.
    ``(b) Minimum Number.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of the Global Health Corps Act of 2005, the Secretary shall 
designate not less than 500 employees of the Service as members of the 
Corps and make such employees available to provide non-emergency, 
routine health care items and related services in the Corps, as the 
Secretary and the Secretary of State determine appropriate.
    ``(c) Rapid Response Capacity.--Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of the Global Health Corps Act of 2005, the Secretary 
shall establish within the Commissioned Corps of the Service a rapid 
response capacity, consisting of not less than 250 individuals, to 
provide health care items and related services in foreign countries or 
regions to carry out the purpose of the Corps on short notice, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State. A member of the Commissioned 
Corps who is included in such rapid response capacity shall--
            ``(1) be trained, equipped, and able to deploy to a foreign 
        country or region within 72 hours of notification of such 
        deployment; and
            ``(2) be considered a participant in the Corps.''.

SEC. 3. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS IN THE CORPS.

    The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501) is amended by inserting after 
section 5 the following new section:

                    ``global health corps volunteers

    ``Sec. 5A. (a) Volunteers are authorized to participate in the 
Global Health Corps, established in section 273 of the Public Health 
Service Act.
    ``(b) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the 
Global Health Corps Act of 2005, the Director of the Peace Corps shall 
make available not less than 250 positions within the Peace Corps for 
volunteers to serve in the Global Health Corps.
    ``(c) A volunteer may apply and be approved for enrollment in the 
Global Health Corps at such time and in such manner as the Director of 
the Peace Corps and the Secretary of Health and Human Services require.
    ``(d) A volunteer who is enrolled in the Global Health Corps shall 
receive training under section 274(e)(2) of the Public Health Service 
Act, unless such volunteer meets the requirements of clause (i) or (ii) 
of section 273(d)(1)(C) of such Act.
    ``(e) A volunteer who is enrolled in the Global Health Corps shall 
provide services as a member of the Global Health Corps as described in 
part D of title II of the Public Health Service Act.
    ``(f) A volunteer who is enrolled in the Global Health Corps shall 
be subject to all other terms and conditions of service under this 
Act.''.

SEC. 4. VOLUNTEERS FOR PROSPERITY.

    (a) Finding.--Congress finds that the Volunteers for Prosperity 
program, organized pursuant to Executive Order 13317 (42 U.S.C. 12501 
note), is a model to link non-Federal volunteers with non-Federal 
organizations to carry out important initiatives.
    (b) Requirement for Corps Initiative.--The head of the Volunteers 
for Prosperity program shall establish an initiative known as the 
Health Care for Peace initiative within such program for the purpose of 
making available non-Federal volunteers to participate in the Global 
Health Corps established under section 273 of the Public Health Service 
Act.

SEC. 5. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) In General.--Under the authority of subsections (a) and (b) of 
section 601 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2351) and 
section 635(d) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2395(d)), the Director of the 
Global Health Corps may establish private-public partnerships in 
furtherance of the purposes of this Act and the Global Health Corps. 
Such partnerships may include activities such as--
            (1) corporate volunteer programs;
            (2) training;
            (3) transportation;
            (4) field support;
            (5) volunteer identification;
            (6) lodging;
            (7) communications;
            (8) fellowships and scholarships; and
            (9) other activities relevant to the mission of the Global 
        Health Corps or the operation of the Office of the Global 
        Health Corps, as determined by the Director of the Global 
        Health Corps.
    (b) Consultation.--The Director of the Global Health Corps shall 
consult with the Global Development Alliance Secretariat at the United 
States Agency for International Development to develop a model for such 
public-private partnerships and gain information on established best 
practices.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a 
detailed plan for the implementation of this Act and the amendments 
made by this Act. Such report shall include recommendations for 
improving the functioning and activities of the Global Health Corps, 
including the feasibility, cost, utility, and desirability of 
establishing incentives to recruit candidates into the Corps.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
                                 <all>
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