H. R. 727
One Hundred Tenth Congress
of the
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven 
An Act 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to add requirements regarding trauma 
care, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Trauma Care Systems Planning 
and Development Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 
Section 1201 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 1201. ESTABLISHMENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, with respect to trauma 
care—
‘‘(1) conduct and support research, training, evaluations, 
and demonstration projects; 
‘‘(2) foster the development of appropriate, modern systems 
of such care through the sharing of information among agencies 
and individuals involved in the study and provision of such 
care; 
‘‘(3) collect, compile, and disseminate information on the 
achievements of, and problems experienced by, State and local 
agencies and private entities in providing trauma care and 
emergency medical services and, in so doing, give special consid-
eration to the unique needs of rural areas; 
‘‘(4) provide to State and local agencies technical assistance 
to enhance each State’s capability to develop, implement, and 
sustain the trauma care component of each State’s plan for 
the provision of emergency medical services; 
‘‘(5) sponsor workshops and conferences; and 
‘‘(6) promote the collection and categorization of trauma 
data in a consistent and standardized manner. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND CONTRACTS.—
The Secretary may make grants, and enter into cooperative agree-
ments and contracts, for the purpose of carrying out subsection 
(a).’’. 
SEC. 3. CLEARINGHOUSE ON TRAUMA CARE AND EMERGENCY MED-
ICAL SERVICES. 
The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is 
amended—
(1) by striking section 1202; and 
(2) by redesignating section 1203 as section 1202.
H. R. 727—2
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS FOR IMPROVING TRAUMA 
CARE IN RURAL AREAS. 
Section 1202 of the Public Health Service Act, as redesignated 
by section 3(2), is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 1202. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS FOR IMPROVING TRAUMA 
CARE IN RURAL AREAS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants to public 
and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out 
research and demonstration projects with respect to improving the 
availability and quality of emergency medical services in rural 
areas—
‘‘(1) by developing innovative uses of communications tech-
nologies and the use of new communications technology; 
‘‘(2) by developing model curricula, such as advanced 
trauma life support, for training emergency medical services 
personnel, including first responders, emergency medical 
technicians, emergency nurses and physicians, and para-
medics—
‘‘(A) in the assessment, stabilization, treatment, 
preparation for transport, and resuscitation of seriously 
injured patients, with special attention to problems that 
arise during long transports and to methods of minimizing 
delays in transport to the appropriate facility; and 
‘‘(B) in the management of the operation of the emer-
gency medical services system; 
‘‘(3) by making training for original certification, and con-
tinuing education, in the provision and management of emer-
gency medical services more accessible to emergency medical 
personnel in rural areas through telecommunications, home 
studies, providing teachers and training at locations accessible 
to such personnel, and other methods; 
‘‘(4) by developing innovative protocols and agreements to 
increase access to prehospital care and equipment necessary 
for the transportation of seriously injured patients to the appro-
priate facilities; 
‘‘(5) by evaluating the effectiveness of protocols with respect 
to emergency medical services and systems; and 
‘‘(6) by increasing communication and coordination with 
State trauma systems. 
‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR CERTAIN RURAL AREAS.—In 
making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special 
consideration to any applicant for the grant that will provide serv-
ices under the grant in any rural area identified by a State under 
section 1214(d)(1). 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENT OF APPLICATION.—The Secretary may not 
make a grant under subsection (a) unless an application for the 
grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such 
form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, 
assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be 
necessary to carry out this section.’’. 
SEC. 5. COMPETITIVE GRANTS. 
Part A of title XII of the Public Health Service Act, as amended 
by section 3, is amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 727—3
‘‘SEC. 1203. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF 
TRAUMA CARE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the Adminis-
trator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may 
make grants to States, political subdivisions, or consortia of States 
or political subdivisions for the purpose of improving access to 
and enhancing the development of trauma care systems. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may make a grant under 
this section only if the applicant agrees to use the grant—
‘‘(1) to integrate and broaden the reach of a trauma care 
system, such as by developing innovative protocols to increase 
access to prehospital care; 
‘‘(2) to strengthen, develop, and improve an existing trauma 
care system; 
‘‘(3) to expand communications between the trauma care 
system and emergency medical services through improved 
equipment or a telemedicine system; 
‘‘(4) to improve data collection and retention; or 
‘‘(5) to increase education, training, and technical assistance 
opportunities, such as training and continuing education in 
the management of emergency medical services accessible to 
emergency medical personnel in rural areas through telehealth, 
home studies, and other methods. 
‘‘(c) PREFERENCE.—In selecting among States, political subdivi-
sions, and consortia of States or political subdivisions for purposes 
of making grants under this section, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to applicants that—
‘‘(1) have developed a process, using national standards, 
for designating trauma centers; 
‘‘(2) recognize protocols for the delivery of seriously injured 
patients to trauma centers; 
‘‘(3) implement a process for evaluating the performance 
of the trauma system; and 
‘‘(4) agree to participate in information systems described 
in section 1202 by collecting, providing, and sharing informa-
tion. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this section, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to applicants that will use the grants 
to focus on improving access to trauma care systems. 
‘‘(e) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to projects 
that demonstrate strong State or local support, including avail-
ability of non-Federal contributions.’’. 
SEC. 6. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEARS SUB-
SEQUENT TO FIRST FISCAL YEAR OF PAYMENTS. 
Section 1212 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d–
12) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 1212. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEARS 
SUBSEQUENT TO FIRST FISCAL YEAR OF PAYMENTS. 
‘‘(a) NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not make payments 
under section 1211(a) unless the State involved agrees, with 
respect to the costs described in paragraph (2), to make avail-
able non-Federal contributions (in cash or in kind under sub-
section (b)(1)) toward such costs in an amount that—