I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1895
To amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend programs
relating to the health of individuals who are from disadvantaged back-
grounds, including individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minor-
ity groups.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 12, 1997
Mr. STOKES (for himself, Mr. WYNN, Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Mr. HASTINGS
of Florida, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. RUSH, Ms. WATERS, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr.
PAYNE, Mr. FLAKE, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Ms.
BROWN of Florida, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHN-
SON of Texas, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. CLAY, Mr.
CLYBURN, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. DAVIS
of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. THOMPSON, Mr. DIXON, Mr.
FATTAH, Mr. FORD, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms.
MCKINNEY, Mr. OWENS, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Mr.
JEFFERSON, Mr. RANGEL, and Ms. CARSON) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend
programs relating to the health of individuals who are
from disadvantaged backgrounds, including individuals
who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups.
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 ‘‘Disadvantaged Minor-
ity Health Improvement Amendments Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. REVISION AND EXTENSION OF PROGRAM FOR OF-
FICE OF MINORITY HEALTH.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1707 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6) is amended by striking
subsection (c) and all that follows and inserting the follow-
ing:
‘‘(c) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish an advisory committee to be known as the Advi-
sory Committee on Minority Health (in this sub-
section referred to as the ‘Committee’). The Deputy
Assistant Secretary shall consult with the Committee
in carrying out this section.
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Committee shall provide
advice to the Deputy Assistant Secretary carrying
out this section, including advice on the development
of goals and specific program activities under para-
graphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) for each racial
and ethnic minority group.
‘‘(3) CHAIR.—The Deputy Assistant Secretary
shall serve as the chair of the Committee.
‘‘(4) COMPOSITION.—
‘‘(A) The Committee shall be composed of
not fewer than 12 voting members appointed in
accordance with subparagraph (B), and nonvot-
ing, ex officio members designated in subpara-
graph (C).
‘‘(B)(i) The voting members of the Com-
mittee shall be appointed from among individ-
uals who are not officers or employees of the
Federal Government and who have expertise re-
garding issues of minority health. The racial
and ethnic minority groups shall be equally rep-
resented among such members.
‘‘(ii) Except as provided in clause (iii), the
voting members of the Committee shall be ap-
pointed by the Secretary.
‘‘(iii) One voting member of the Committee
shall be appointed from among the voting mem-
bers of the Advisory Committee on Research on
Minority Health established under section
404(e). The appointment under the preceding
sentence shall be made by the Chair of the Ad-
visory Committee under such section, in con-
sultation with the other members of such Advi-
sory Committee.
‘‘(C) The nonvoting, ex officio members of
the Committee shall be the Deputy Assistant
Secretary and the directors of each of the mi-
nority health offices, and such additional offi-
cials of the Department of Health and Human
Services as the Secretary determines to be ap-
propriate.
‘‘(5) TERMS.—Each member of the Committee
shall serve for a term of 4 years, except that the
Secretary shall initially appoint a portion of the
members to terms of 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years.
‘‘(6) VACANCIES.—If a vacancy occurs on the
Committee, a new member shall be appointed by the
Secretary within 90 days from the date that the va-
cancy occurs, and serve for the remainder of the
term for which the predecessor of such member was
appointed. The vacancy shall not affect the power of
the remaining members to execute the duties of the
Committee.
‘‘(7) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Com-
mittee who are officers or employees of the United
States shall serve without compensation. Members of
the Committee who are not officers or employees of
the United States shall receive compensation, for
each day (including travel time) they are engaged in
the performance of the functions of the Committee.
Such compensation may not be in an amount in ex-
cess of the daily equivalent of the annual maximum
rate of basic pay payable under the General Sched-
ule (under title 5, United States Code) for positions
above GS–15.
‘‘(d) CERTAIN
REQUIREMENTS
REGARDING
DU-
TIES.—
‘‘(1) 
BILINGUAL
ASSISTANCE
REGARDING
HEALTH CARE.—In carrying out subsection (b)(7),
the Secretary shall give special consideration to the
unique linguistic needs of health care providers serv-
ing Asians, and American Samoans and other Pa-
cific Islanders, including such needs regarding par-
ticular subpopulations of such groups.
‘‘(2) EQUITABLE ALLOCATION REGARDING AC-
TIVITIES.—
‘‘(A) In making awards of grants, coopera-
tive agreements, or contracts under this section
or section 330(i), 338A, 338B, 404, or 724, or
part B of title VII, the Secretary, acting as ap-
propriate through the Deputy Assistant Sec-
retary or the Administrator of the Health Re-
sources and Services Administration, shall en-
sure that such awards are equitably allocated