II 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3133 

To provide for the construction, renovation, and improvement of medical 

school facilities, and other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 17, 2010 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. SPECTER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To provide for the construction, renovation, and improvement 

of medical school facilities, and other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Medical School Con5 struction Grant Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) Construction employment declined by 

9 53,000 in December 2009, and has fallen by 


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1 1,600,000 since the economic downturn began, ac2 cording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

3 (2) By 2020, the United States will face a 

4 shortage of about 85,000 physicians, due in part to 

5 the aging population, according to the Council on 

6 Graduate Medical Education. 

7 (3) The American Academy of Family Physi8 cians recommended in 2006 that, to meet the need 

9 of primary care physicians in 2020, the United 

10 States would need to train 3,725 family physicians 

11 and 714 osteopathic physicians annually, with an 

12 overall goal of a 39 percent increase in family physi13 cians. 

14 (4) The Association of American Medical Col15 leges has called for increased enrollment at Liaison 

16 Committee on Medical Education accredited schools 

17 from 15 to 30 percent over the 2002 levels by 2015. 

18 This increase would boost the number of graduates 

19 to about 20,000. 

20 (5) The Federal Government has not supported 

21 significant construction of medical schools since the 

22 1960s and 1970s. 

23 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


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1 (1) MEDICAL SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘medical 

2 school’’ means any 4-year allopathic or osteopathic 

3 medical school. 

4 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

6 SEC. 4. GRANTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

8 program to award grants to eligible medical schools for 

9 the purpose of constructing, renovating, or improving 

10 medical school facilities to increase the supply of physi11 cians. 

12 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

13 under subsection (a), a medical school shall— 

14 (1) be accredited by the Association of Amer15 ican Medical Colleges; 

16 (2) submit to the Secretary an application at 

17 such time, in such manner, and containing such in18 formation as the Secretary may require; and 

19 (3) provide assurances that the medical school 

20 will ensure accountability and transparency in ex21 pending grant funds. 

22 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—An entity shall use amounts re23 ceived under a grant under subsection (a) to construct new 

24 medical school facilities or renovate or improve existing 


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1 medical school facilities to increase the supply of physi2 cians. 

3 (d) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall allocate 

4 amounts appropriated to carry out this section among 

5 medical schools based on the following: 

6 (1) First priority in awarding grants shall be 

7 given to new medical schools that are accredited to 

8 admit students beginning with academic years 2009 

9 through 2014. 

10 (2) Priority in awarding grants shall be given 

11 to medical schools that seek to establish a new 

12 branch of an existing school. 

13 (3) Priority in awarding grants shall be given 

14 to medical schools that serve one or more medically 

15 underserved populations designated under section 

16 330(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 254b(b)). 

18 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

19 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

20 this section $500,000,000 for fiscal years 2010 through 

21 2014. 

Æ 


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