I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4385 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the designation 
of maternity care health professional shortage areas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2014 
Mr. BURGESS (for himself and Mrs. CAPPS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the designation of maternity care health professional 
shortage areas. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. MATERNITY CARE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 
SHORTAGE AREAS. 
Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(k)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Adminis-
trator of the Health Resources and Services Administra-
tion, shall designate maternity care health professional 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
07:00 Apr 05, 2014
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4385.IH
H4385
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
shortage areas in the States and at least annually there-
after review and, as necessary, revise such designations. 
‘‘(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), and in applying 
subsection (b) pursuant to paragraph (4), the Secretary 
shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, in-
cluding medical societies, organizations representing med-
ical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in 
maternity care. 
‘‘(3) In applying subsection (d), pursuant to para-
graph (4), the Secretary shall collect and publish in the 
Federal Register data on health care professional shortage 
areas based on professional category of maternal health 
professionals providing full scope maternity health care by 
provider type as well as geographic region. Such data shall 
be presented in a manner to compare availability and need 
of such professionals by such professional category and ge-
ographic region. 
‘‘(4) The provisions of subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), 
(f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) (other than (j)(1)(B)) of this sec-
tion shall apply to the designation of a maternity care 
health professional shortage area under this subsection in 
a similar manner and extent as such provisions apply to 
the designation of health professional shortage areas 
under subsection (a), except— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
07:00 Apr 05, 2014
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4385.IH
H4385
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) in applying subsection (b)(3), the ref-
erence in such subsection to ‘physicians’ shall be 
deemed to be a reference to physicians and other 
health professionals as providing maternity care eli-
gible for loan repayment under this part who provide 
full scope maternity care; 
‘‘(B) in applying subsection (d)— 
‘‘(i) the reference in paragraph (2) of such 
subsection to ‘July 1 of 1991’ shall be deemed 
to be a reference to ‘July 1 of 2016’; and 
‘‘(ii) the descriptive list required under 
such paragraph, with respect to a maternity 
care health professional shortage area des-
ignated under paragraph (1), shall include— 
‘‘(I) population groups in the area 
that would benefit from full scope mater-
nity care health services; and 
‘‘(II) the providers and medical facili-
ties that provide such services to such 
groups in such area; and 
‘‘(C) in applying such provisions of subsections 
(b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j), a reference to 
an area, population group, or facility shall be 
deemed to be a reference to an area or population 
group described in paragraph (5). 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
07:00 Apr 05, 2014
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4385.IH
H4385
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(5) For purposes of this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘maternity care health profes-
sional shortage area’ means— 
‘‘(i) an area in an urban or rural area 
(which need not conform to the geographic 
boundaries of a political subdivision and which 
is a rational area for the delivery of health serv-
ices) which the Secretary determines has a 
shortage of providers of full scope maternity 
care health services; 
‘‘(ii) an area in an urban or rural area 
(which need not conform to the geographic 
boundaries of a political subdivision and which 
is a rational area for the delivery of health serv-
ices) which the Secretary determines has a 
shortage of hospital or birth center labor and 
delivery units; or 
‘‘(iii) a population group which the Sec-
retary determines has such a shortage of mater-
nal providers or facilities. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘full scope maternity care health 
services’ includes during labor care, birthing, pre-
natal care, and postpartum care. 
‘‘(C) The term ‘medical facility’ has the mean-
ing given such term in subsection (a)(2) and in-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
07:00 Apr 05, 2014
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4385.IH
H4385
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
cludes a freestanding birth center, as defined in sec-
tion 1905(l)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
07:00 Apr 05, 2014
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4385.IH
H4385
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS