I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1651 
To provide for the establishment of the Rural Health Quality Advisory 
Commission, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 22, 2007 
Ms. HERSETH (for herself, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, and Mr. POMEROY) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of the Rural Health Quality 
Advisory Commission, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Rural Health Quality 
Advisory Commission Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. RURAL HEALTH QUALITY ADVISORY COMMISSION 
AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. 
(a) RURAL HEALTH QUALITY ADVISORY COMMIS-
SION.— 
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(1) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Not 
later 
than 
months after the date of the enactment of this sec-
tion, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 
establish a commission to be known as the Rural 
Health Quality Advisory Commission (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
(2) DUTIES OF COMMISSION.— 
(A) NATIONAL
PLAN.—The Commission 
shall develop, coordinate, and facilitate imple-
mentation of a national plan for rural health 
quality improvement. The national plan shall— 
(i) identify objectives for rural health 
quality improvement; 
(ii) identify strategies to eliminate 
known gaps in rural health system capacity 
and improve rural health quality; and 
(iii) provide for Federal programs to 
identify opportunities for strengthening 
and aligning policies and programs to im-
prove rural health quality. 
(B) 
DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS.—The 
Commission shall design demonstration projects 
to test alternative models for rural health qual-
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ity improvement, including with respect to both 
personal and population health. 
(C) MONITORING.—The Commission shall 
monitor progress toward the objectives identi-
fied pursuant to paragraph (1)(A). 
(3) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) NUMBER.—The Commission shall be 
composed of 11 members appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
(B) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall se-
lect the members of the Commission from 
among individuals with significant rural health 
care and health care quality expertise, including 
expertise in clinical health care, health care 
quality research, population or public health, or 
purchaser organizations. 
(4) CONTRACTING AUTHORITY.—Subject to the 
availability of funds, the Commission may enter into 
contracts and make other arrangements, as may be 
necessary to carry out the duties described in para-
graph (2). 
(5) STAFF.—Upon the request of the Commis-
sion, the Secretary may detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of the Office of Rural 
Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services 
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