I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4282
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment
of toll-free telephone communications through which residents of rural
areas can obtain information on the availability in such areas of health
services.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 21, 1994
Ms. ENGLISH of Arizona 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 establishment of toll-free telephone communications
through which residents of rural areas can obtain infor-
mation on the availability in such areas of health
services.
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 ‘‘Access to Rural Health
Information Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM TO PROVIDE
HEALTH SERVICES INFORMATION TO RESI-
DENTS OF RURAL AREAS.
Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 254r) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (i) through (k)
as subsections (j) through (l), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (h) the follow-
ing subsection:
‘‘(i) 
SEPARATE
PROGRAM
REGARDING
RURAL
HEALTH TELEPHONE HOTLINES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Office of Rural Health
Policy, may make grants to States for the purpose
of establishing and operating toll-free telephone com-
munications through which individuals residing in
rural areas of the State can obtain information on
the availability to the individuals of health services.
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may
make a grant under paragraph (1) only if the State
involved agrees that the grant will be administered
through the office of rural health of the State.
‘‘(3) CERTAIN
INFORMATION.—The Secretary
may make a grant under paragraph (1) only if the
State involved agrees as follows:
‘‘(A) Information available to individuals
under such paragraph will include information
on particular health professionals, including,
with respect to the professionals involved, the
following: Name and address (and instructions
for locating the address); telephone number; of-
fice hours; the available types of services; and
the forms of payment accepted (including a
specification regarding health insurance policies
and plans, and participation of the professionals
in Federal and State health programs).
‘‘(B)(i) Information available to individuals
under such paragraph will include information
on the availability of the following services: Pre-
ventive care (including routine screenings and
including immunizations against vaccine-pre-
ventable diseases); prenatal care; counseling for
the abuse of alcohol and drugs; other health-re-
lated counseling; domestic violence; sexual
abuse; and such other matters as the Secretary
may specify.
‘‘(ii) The information available under
clause (i) will be designed for the rural area in-
volved, with consideration of the particular
health status of the residents of the area.’’.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 338J(k) of the Public
Health Service Act, as redesignated by section 2 of this
Act, is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3);
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the follow-
ing paragraph:
‘‘(2) RURAL HEALTH HOTLINES.—For the pur-
pose of making grants under subsection (i), there
are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for fis-
cal year 1995, $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1996, and
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 1997.’’; and
(3) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by
striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘this sub-
section’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 338J(l) of
the Public Health Service Act, as redesignated by section
2 of this Act, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting
‘‘subsection (a)’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘subsection (j)(1)’’ and inserting
‘‘subsection (k)(1)’’.
Æ