H. R. 1343 
One Hundred Tenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and eight 
An Act 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide additional authorizations of 
appropriations for the health centers program under section 330 of such Act, 
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 ‘‘Health Care Safety Net Act 
of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS PROGRAM OF THE PUBLIC 
HEALTH SERVICE ACT. 
(a) ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
HEALTH CENTERS PROGRAM OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.— 
Section 330(r) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(r)) 
is amended by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of carrying out this 
section, in addition to the amounts authorized to be appro-
priated under subsection (d), there are authorized to be appro-
priated— 
‘‘(A) $2,065,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
‘‘(B) $2,313,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(C) $2,602,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
‘‘(D) $2,940,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 
‘‘(E) $3,337,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.’’. 
(b) STUDIES RELATING TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this subsection— 
(A) the term ‘‘community health center’’ means a health 
center receiving assistance under section 330 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b); and 
(B) the term ‘‘medically underserved population’’ has 
the meaning given that term in such section 330. 
(2) SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER STUDY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall issue a study of the economic 
costs and benefits of school-based health centers and the 
impact on the health of students of these centers. 
(B) CONTENT.—In conducting the study under subpara-
graph (A), the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall analyze— 
(i) the impact that Federal funding could have 
on the operation of school-based health centers;
H. R. 1343—2 
(ii) any cost savings to other Federal programs 
derived from providing health services in school-based 
health centers; 
(iii) the effect on the Federal Budget and the health 
of students of providing Federal funds to school-based 
health centers and clinics, including the result of pro-
viding disease prevention and nutrition information; 
(iv) the impact of access to health care from school- 
based health centers in rural or underserved areas; 
and 
(v) other sources of Federal funding for school- 
based health centers. 
(3) HEALTH CARE QUALITY STUDY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), 
acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources 
and Services Administration, and in collaboration with the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, shall prepare 
and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report 
that describes agency efforts to expand and accelerate 
quality improvement activities in community health cen-
ters. 
(B) CONTENT.—The report under subparagraph (A) 
shall focus on— 
(i) Federal efforts, as of the date of enactment 
of this Act, regarding health care quality in community 
health centers, including quality data collection, anal-
ysis, and reporting requirements; 
(ii) identification of effective models for quality 
improvement in community health centers, which may 
include models that— 
(I) incorporate care coordination, disease 
management, and other services demonstrated to 
improve care; 
(II) are designed to address multiple, co-occur-
ring diseases and conditions; 
(III) improve access to providers through non- 
traditional means, such as the use of remote moni-
toring equipment; 
(IV) target various medically underserved 
populations, including uninsured patient popu-
lations; 
(V) increase access to specialty care, including 
referrals and diagnostic testing; and 
(VI) enhance the use of electronic health 
records to improve quality; 
(iii) efforts to determine how effective quality 
improvement models may be adapted for implementa-
tion by community health centers that vary by size, 
budget, staffing, services offered, populations served, 
and other characteristics determined appropriate by 
the Secretary;