I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4134
To provide for an increase in the availability of language-assistance services
for patients of health centers under section 330 of the Public Health
Service Act, including community health centers.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 10, 2002
Mr. CROWLEY (for himself, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr.
OWENS, Ms. WATSON of California, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. BONIOR, Mr.
SCHIFF, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. RUSH, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.
MCGOVERN, Mr. FROST, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, and Mr. BRADY of Penn-
sylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To provide for an increase in the availability of language-
assistance services for patients of health centers under
section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, including
community health centers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The uninsured population in the United
States continues to grow at over 100,000 individuals
per month, and is estimated to reach over
53,000,000 people by 2007.
(2) A substantial subset of the uninsured popu-
lation in the United States are individuals for whom
English is not their first language and who have lim-
ited English-speaking ability.
(3) The problem of health care access for unin-
sured populations with limited English-speaking
ability is compounded in many urban and rural com-
munities by a lack of translation and interpretative
services that better enable individuals to commu-
nicate with providers in order to fully access health
care services in a culturally competent manner.
(4) Community, migrant, homeless, and public
housing health centers under section 330 of the
Public Health Service Act have proven uniquely
qualified to address the lack of adequate health care
services for uninsured populations, serving over
4,500,000 uninsured patients in 1999, including
over 1,000,000 new uninsured patients who have
sought care from such centers in the last three
years.
(5) The provision of enabling services to health
center patients, including translation and interpreta-
tion services, are an integral element of the program
for health centers under section 330 of the Public
Health Service Act.
(6) 80 percent of health centers provided trans-
lation and interpretation services on-site to their pa-
tients in the year 2000.
(7) 2,600,000 health center patients received
translation services in 2000, which accounted for ap-
proximately 10,500,000 health center visits in that
year.
(8) Access to health care for individuals with
limited English-speaking ability has been greatly im-
proved when translation and interpretation services
are provided to health center patients and providers
and when patient information (enrollment forms,
educational materials) are available in the languages
spoken by the patient population.
SEC. 2. INCREASING AVAILABILITY OF LANGUAGE-ASSIST-
ANCE SERVICES FOR PATIENTS OF HEALTH
CENTERS UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
ACT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program for
health centers under section 330 of the Public Health
Service Act, including community health centers, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall ensure that
amounts appropriated under subsection (b) of this section