I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2126
To recognize the importance of the Veterans’ Administration Medical School 
Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 in addressing 
shortfalls in the number of physicians and other health care professionals 
employed in the health care system of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, to reauthorize the program of grants to medical schools affiliated 
with the Department, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2003
Mr. EDWARDS (for himself, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. RAHALL, and Mr. HOBSON) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To recognize the importance of the Veterans’ Administration 
Medical School Assistance and Health Manpower Train-
ing Act of 1972 in addressing shortfalls in the number 
of physicians and other health care professionals em-
ployed in the health care system of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, to reauthorize the program of grants 
to medical schools affiliated with the Department, and 
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teague Grant Reau-
thorization Act’’. 
SECTION 2. SUCCESS OF VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION 
MEDICAL SCHOOL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH 
MANPOWER TRAINING ACT OF 1972 IN ALLE-
VIATING SHORTAGES OF HEALTH CARE PRO-
FESSIONALS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) A severe shortage in the number of physi-
cians and other health care professionals in the 
United States is predicted for the next two decades, 
as a result of a substantial growth in demand for 
medical services compared with the number of med-
ical school graduates, foreign doctors in the United 
States, and other health care professionals available 
to meet that demand. 
(2) Recent studies based on current trends pre-
dict a national shortage of up to 50,000 physicians 
by 2010 and up to 200,000 physicians by 2020. 
(3) The passage and funding of the Veterans’ 
Administration Medical School Assistance and 
Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 (Public Law 
92–541), which added chapter 82 to title 38, United 
States Code, helped to prevent a predicted shortage 
of physicians and other health care professionals in
the 1970s and 1980s, and resulted in the establish-
ment of five new medical schools in the United 
States, at East Tennessee State University, the Uni-
versity of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, 
Wright State University, and Marshall University, 
each operated in conjunction with health care facili-
ties of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(4) Over the past three decades, the partner-
ships between the Department of Veterans Affairs 
and those five medical schools not only helped pre-
vent such a physician shortage, but also fostered sig-
nificant gains in the quality of physician education, 
medical research, and health care delivery. 
(5) Physicians and other health care profes-
sionals educated in those medical schools have bene-
fited from the rich and diverse educational experi-
ences available in veterans’ health care facilities. 
(6) Veterans and their families have benefited 
from medical care that is enhanced by faculty physi-
cians, residency training, and comprehensive medical 
education that is available in veterans health care 
facilities affiliated with those medical schools. 
(b) RECOGNITION.—Congress hereby recognizes—
(1) the 30th anniversary of the enactment of 
the Veterans’ Administration Medical School Assist-
ance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 
(Public Law 92–541); 
(2) the critical and historic role played by that 
Act towards alleviating the shortfall in the number 
of physicians and other health care professionals; 
and 
(3) the importance of continued growth in the 
partnerships between the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and medical schools affiliated with the De-
partment. 
SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE AND DESIGNATION OF 
GRANTS. 
Section 8221 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and to cooperate’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘such subchapter’’ and inserting ‘‘to 
address shortfalls in the number of physicians and 
other health care professionals employed in the Vet-
erans Health Administration’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘Grants under this subchapter shall be known 
as ‘Teague Grants’ in honor of the most-decorated 
veteran ever to have served in Congress, the Honor-
able Olin E. ‘Tiger’ Teague of Texas.’’.
(c) PRIORITY OF GRANT AWARDS.—Such section is 
further amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) The Secretary shall give priority in the award 
of grants under this section to the medical schools estab-
lished pursuant to subchapter I.’’.
Æ
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teague Grant Reau-
thorization Act’’. 
SECTION 2. SUCCESS OF VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION 
MEDICAL SCHOOL ASSISTANCE AND HEALTH 
MANPOWER TRAINING ACT OF 1972 IN ALLE-
VIATING SHORTAGES OF HEALTH CARE PRO-
FESSIONALS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) A severe shortage in the number of physi-
cians and other health care professionals in the 
United States is predicted for the next two decades, 
as a result of a substantial growth in demand for 
medical services compared with the number of med-
ical school graduates, foreign doctors in the United 
States, and other health care professionals available 
to meet that demand. 
(2) Recent studies based on current trends pre-
dict a national shortage of up to 50,000 physicians 
by 2010 and up to 200,000 physicians by 2020. 
(3) The passage and funding of the Veterans’ 
Administration Medical School Assistance and 
Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 (Public Law 
92–541), which added chapter 82 to title 38, United 
States Code, helped to prevent a predicted shortage 
of physicians and other health care professionals in
the 1970s and 1980s, and resulted in the establish-
ment of five new medical schools in the United 
States, at East Tennessee State University, the Uni-
versity of South Carolina, Texas A&M University, 
Wright State University, and Marshall University, 
each operated in conjunction with health care facili-
ties of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(4) Over the past three decades, the partner-
ships between the Department of Veterans Affairs 
and those five medical schools not only helped pre-
vent such a physician shortage, but also fostered sig-
nificant gains in the quality of physician education, 
medical research, and health care delivery. 
(5) Physicians and other health care profes-
sionals educated in those medical schools have bene-
fited from the rich and diverse educational experi-
ences available in veterans’ health care facilities. 
(6) Veterans and their families have benefited 
from medical care that is enhanced by faculty physi-
cians, residency training, and comprehensive medical 
education that is available in veterans health care 
facilities affiliated with those medical schools. 
(b) RECOGNITION.—Congress hereby recognizes—
(1) the 30th anniversary of the enactment of 
the Veterans’ Administration Medical School Assist-
ance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 
(Public Law 92–541); 
(2) the critical and historic role played by that 
Act towards alleviating the shortfall in the number 
of physicians and other health care professionals; 
and 
(3) the importance of continued growth in the 
partnerships between the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and medical schools affiliated with the De-
partment. 
SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE AND DESIGNATION OF 
GRANTS. 
Section 8221 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and to cooperate’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘such subchapter’’ and inserting ‘‘to 
address shortfalls in the number of physicians and 
other health care professionals employed in the Vet-
erans Health Administration’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘Grants under this subchapter shall be known 
as ‘Teague Grants’ in honor of the most–decorated 
veteran ever to have served in Congress, the Honor-
able Olin E. ‘Tiger’ Teague of Texas.’’.
SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS TO 
AFFILIATED MEDICAL SCHOOLS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
8222 of title 38, United States Code, is amended––
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(a) There is authorized to be appropriated for car-
rying out programs authorized under this subchapter 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009.’’; 
and 
(2) by striking subsection (c). 
(b) CRITERIA FOR GRANTS.—Subsection (b) of sec-
tion 8223 of such title is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the 
semicolon the following: ‘‘and will increase the num-
ber of medical or nursing students attending the 
school’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(3); 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (5); and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) the application sets forth demonstrated 
benefits to the Department and to the care of vet-
erans; and’’.
(c) PRIORITY OF GRANT AWARDS.—Such section is 
further amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) The Secretary shall give priority in the award 
of grants under this section to the medical schools estab-
lished pursuant to subchapter I.’’.
Æ