I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 853 
To promote preventive health care for Americans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2007 
Mr. KNOLLENBERG introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To promote preventive health care for Americans. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wellness and Preven-
tion Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Improving the health of the population and 
reducing medical costs requires implementation of 
preventive methods. 
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(2) Organizations throughout the United States 
have expressed the need for an increase of public 
health professionals. 
(3) There are only approximately 6,000 physi-
cians board certified in preventive medicine. 
(4) Many health care costs are spent on chronic 
conditions that could be avoided by implementing 
preventive methods. 
(5) The number of preventive medicine resi-
dency programs and individuals pursuing preventive 
medicine has significantly decreased in recent years. 
(6) Preventive medicine physicians are uniquely 
trained to serve patients and communities. 
(7) A strong public health system requires a 
strong preventive medicine workforce. 
SEC. 3. LOAN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR PREVENTIVE 
MEDICINE PHYSICIANS. 
(a) PAYMENTS.—On behalf of any eligible preventive 
medicine physician, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services may pay up to $20,000 of the medical education 
loans incurred by the physician. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To request a payment under this 
section, an eligible preventive medicine physician shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
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such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible preventive medicine phy-
sician’’ means a practicing physician who receives 
board certification in preventive medicine during the 
period of fiscal years 2008 through 2012. 
(2) The term ‘‘medical education loan’’ means 
the outstanding principal of and interest on a loan 
incurred for the cost of attendance (including tui-
tion, other reasonable educational expenses, and rea-
sonable living costs) at a school of medicine. 
(3) The term ‘‘school of medicine’’ has the 
meaning given to that term in section 799B of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p). 
(4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2008 through 2012. 
SEC. 4. WELLNESS PROGRAM EMPLOYER CREDIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart D of part IV of sub-
chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
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1986 (relating to business related credits) is amended by 
inserting after section 45N the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 45O. WELLNESS PROGRAM EMPLOYER CREDIT. 
‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—For purposes of section 38, 
the wellness program employer credit determined under 
this section for any taxable year is an amount equal to 
25 percent of the expenses paid or incurred by the eligible 
employer during the taxable year to develop and imple-
ment a qualified wellness program. 
‘‘(b) DOLLAR LIMITATION.—The amount of the cred-
it determined under this section for any taxable year shall 
not exceed $200 per qualified employee employed by the 
eligible employer during the taxable year. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER.—With respect to a 
taxable year, the term ‘eligible employer’ means an 
employer who— 
‘‘(A) develops and implements a qualified 
wellness program, and 
‘‘(B) keeps accurate records of the preven-
tive services and other programs in which the 
eligible employer’s employees have participated 
during the taxable year. 
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‘‘(2) QUALIFIED
WELLNESS
PROGRAM.—With 
respect to an eligible employer, the term ‘qualified 
wellness program’ means a program— 
‘‘(A) that is developed and implemented by 
the eligible employer, in consultation with an in-
dividual who has implemented a wellness pro-
gram for a different employer and who will en-
sure compliance with appropriate measures to 
protect the privacy of program participants, 
‘‘(B) that conducts health risk assessments 
for each of the program’s participants, 
‘‘(C) that offers at least 2 of the preventive 
services strongly recommended by the U.S. Pre-
ventive Services Task Force on an annual basis, 
‘‘(D) that offers annual counseling sessions 
and seminars related to at least 3 of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) smoking, 
‘‘(ii) obesity, 
‘‘(iii) stress management, 
‘‘(iv) physical fitness, 
‘‘(v) nutrition, 
‘‘(vi) substance abuse, 
‘‘(vii) depression, 
‘‘(viii) mental health, 
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‘‘(ix) heart disease, and 
‘‘(x) maternal and infant health, and 
‘‘(E) whose qualified participants include 
not less than 50 percent of the eligible employ-
er’s full-time employees. 
‘‘(3) QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE.—With respect to 
an eligible employer, the term ‘qualified employee’ 
means an individual who is— 
‘‘(A) a full-time employee of the eligible 
employer, and 
‘‘(B) a qualified participant in the eligible 
employer’s qualified wellness program. 
‘‘(4) QUALIFIED
PARTICIPANT.—With respect 
to a taxable year, the term ‘qualified participant’ 
means an individual— 
‘‘(A) who participates in at least 2 of the 
annual preventive services or other programs 
offered through a qualified wellness program 
during the taxable year, and 
‘‘(B) with respect to whom a health risk 
assessment has been conducted during the tax-
able year, 
as determined by the eligible employer who has de-
veloped and implemented such qualified wellness 
program. 
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‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall not apply in 
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by 
striking ‘‘plus’’ at the end of paragraph (30), by 
striking the period at the end of paragraph (31) and 
inserting ‘‘, plus’’, and by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(32) the wellness program employer credit de-
termined under section 45O(a).’’. 
(2) The table of sections for subpart D of part 
IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 45N the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 45O. Wellness program employer credit.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 2007. 
SEC. 5. WELLNESS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT CREDIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart A of part IV of sub-
chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 (relating to nonrefundable personal credits) is 
amended by inserting after section 25D the following new 
section: 
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‘‘SEC. 25E. WELLNESS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT CREDIT. 
‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE
OF CREDIT.—In the case of a 
qualified employee, there shall be allowed as a credit 
against the tax imposed by this subtitle for the taxable 
year an amount equal to $200. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
‘‘(1) QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE.—With respect to 
an eligible employer, the term ‘qualified employee’ 
means an individual who is— 
‘‘(A) a full-time employee of the eligible 
employer, and 
‘‘(B) a qualified participant in the eligible 
employer’s qualified wellness program. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED
PARTICIPANT.—With respect 
to a taxable year, the term ‘qualified participant’ 
means an individual— 
‘‘(A) who participates in at least 2 of the 
annual preventive services or other programs 
offered through a qualified wellness program 
during the taxable year, and 
‘‘(B) with respect to whom a health risk 
assessment has been conducted during the tax-
able year, 
as determined by the eligible employer who has de-
veloped and implemented such qualified wellness 
program. 
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