I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 884
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the training of
health professions students with respect to the identification and referral
of victims of domestic violence.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 1997
Mrs. MORELLA (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. GANSKE) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
the training of health professions students with respect
to the identification and referral of victims of domestic
violence.
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 ‘‘Domestic Violence
Identification and Referral Act of 1997’’.
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT, FOR CERTAIN HEALTH PROFES-
SIONS PROGRAMS, OF PROVISIONS REGARD-
ING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
(a) TITLE VII PROGRAMS; PREFERENCES IN FINAN-
CIAL AWARDS.—Section 791 of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 295j) is amended by redesignating sub-
section (c) as subsection (d), and by inserting after sub-
section (b) the following subsection:
‘‘(c) PREFERENCES REGARDING TRAINING IN IDEN-
TIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a health pro-
fessions entity specified in paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary shall, in making awards of grants or contracts
under this title, give preference to any such entity
(if otherwise a qualified applicant for the award in-
volved) that has in effect the requirement that, as a
condition of receiving a degree or certificate (as ap-
plicable) from the entity, each student have had sig-
nificant training in carrying out the following func-
tions as a provider of health care:
‘‘(A) Identifying victims of domestic vio-
lence, 
and 
maintaining 
complete 
medical
records that include documentation of the ex-
amination, treatment given, and referrals made,
HR 884 IH
and recording the location and nature of the
victim’s injuries.
‘‘(B) Examining and treating such victims,
within the scope of the health professional’s dis-
cipline, training, and practice, including, at a
minimum, providing medical advice regarding
the dynamics and nature of domestic violence.
‘‘(C) Referring the victims to public and
nonprofit private entities that provide services
for such victims.
‘‘(2) RELEVANT HEALTH PROFESSIONS ENTI-
TIES.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a health pro-
fessions entity specified in this paragraph is any en-
tity that is a school of medicine, a school of osteo-
pathic medicine, a graduate program in mental
health practice, a school of nursing (as defined in
section 853), a program for the training of physician
assistants, or a program for the training of allied
health professionals.
‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of the Domes-
tic Violence Identification and Referral Act of 1997,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the
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Senate, a report specifying the health professions en-
tities that are receiving preference under paragraph
(1); the number of hours of training required by the
entities for purposes of such paragraph; the extent
of clinical experience so required; and the types of
courses through which the training is being pro-
vided.
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘domestic violence’ includes behav-
ior commonly referred to as domestic violence, sexual
assault, spousal abuse, woman battering, partner
abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and acquaintance
rape.’’.
(b) TITLE VIII PROGRAMS; PREFERENCES IN FI-
NANCIAL AWARDS.—Section 860 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 298b–7) is amended by adding at
the end the following subsection:
‘‘(f) PREFERENCES REGARDING TRAINING IN IDEN-
TIFICATION AND REFERRAL OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a health pro-
fessions entity specified in paragraph (2), the Sec-
retary shall, in making awards of grants or contracts
under this title, give preference to any such entity
HR 884 IH
(if otherwise a qualified applicant for the award in-
volved) that has in effect the requirement that, as a
condition of receiving a degree or certificate (as ap-
plicable) from the entity, each student have had sig-
nificant training in carrying out the following func-
tions as a provider of health care:
‘‘(A) Identifying victims of domestic vio-
lence, 
and 
maintaining 
complete 
medical
records that include documentation of the ex-
amination, treatment given, and referrals made,
and recording the location and nature of the
victim’s injuries.
‘‘(B) Examining and treating such victims,
within the scope of the health professional’s dis-
cipline, training, and practice, including, at a
minimum, providing medical advice regarding
the dynamics and nature of domestic violence.
‘‘(C) Referring the victims to public and
nonprofit private entities that provide services
for such victims.
‘‘(2) RELEVANT HEALTH PROFESSIONS ENTI-
TIES.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a health pro-
fessions entity specified in this paragraph is any en-
tity that is a school of nursing or other public or
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nonprofit private entity that is eligible to receive an
award described in such paragraph.
‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of the Domes-
tic Violence Identification and Referral Act of 1997,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the
Senate, a report specifying the health professions en-
tities that are receiving preference under paragraph
(1); the number of hours of training required by the
entities for purposes of such paragraph; the extent
of clinical experience so required; and the types of
courses through which the training is being pro-
vided.
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘domestic violence’ includes behav-
ior commonly referred to as domestic violence, sexual
assault, spousal abuse, woman battering, partner
abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and acquaintance
rape.’’.
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