Expanding Medical Education Act
Bill: S.3422 | Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim (D-VA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Expanding Medical Education Act
This bill authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants to institutions of higher education, or consortia of such institutions, to establish or expand medical schools.
In awarding these grants, HRSA must prioritize minority-serving institutions or those that propose to establish or expand schools in medically underserved communities or areas with shortages of health professionals where no such schools exist.

To establish a grant program to support schools of medicine and schools 
             of osteopathic medicine in underserved areas.

    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 ``Expanding Medical Education Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AND SCHOOLS OF OSTEOPATHIC 
              MEDICINE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.

    Subpart II of part C of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 293m et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 749C. GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AND SCHOOLS OF OSTEOPATHIC 
              MEDICINE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may award grants 
to institutions of higher education (including consortiums of such 
institutions) for the establishment, improvement, or expansion of a 
school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus of a 
school of medicine or osteopathic medicine.
    ``(b) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to any institution of higher 
education (or consortium of such institutions) that--
            ``(1) proposes to use the grant for the establishment of a 
        school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus 
        of a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, in an area--
                    ``(A) in which no other such school is based; and
                    ``(B) that is a medically underserved community or 
                a health professional shortage area; or
            ``(2) is a minority-serving institution described in 
        section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
    ``(c) Considerations.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary, to the extent practicable, may ensure equitable distribution 
of awards among the geographical regions of the United States.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--An institution of higher education (or a 
consortium of such institutions)--
            ``(1) shall use grant amounts received under this section 
        to--
                    ``(A) recruit, enroll, and retain students, 
                including individuals who are from disadvantaged 
                backgrounds (including racial and ethnic groups 
                underrepresented among medical students and health 
                professions), individuals from rural and underserved 
                areas, low-income individuals, and first generation 
                college students, at a school of medicine or 
                osteopathic medicine or branch campus of a school of 
                medicine or osteopathic medicine; and
                    ``(B) develop, implement, and expand curriculum 
                that emphasizes care for rural and underserved 
                populations, including accessible and culturally and 
                linguistically appropriate care and services, at such 
                school or branch campus; and
            ``(2) may use grant amounts received under this section 
        to--
                    ``(A) plan and construct--
                            ``(i) a school of medicine or osteopathic 
                        medicine in an area in which no other such 
                        school is based; or
                            ``(ii) a branch campus of a school of 
                        medicine or osteopathic medicine in an area in 
                        which no other such school is based;
                    ``(B) plan, develop, and meet criteria for 
                accreditation for a school of medicine or osteopathic 
                medicine or branch campus of a school of medicine or 
                osteopathic medicine;
                    ``(C) hire faculty, including faculty from racial 
                and ethnic groups who are underrepresented among the 
                medical and other health professions, and other staff 
                to serve at such a school or branch campus;
                    ``(D) support educational programs at such a school 
                or branch campus;
                    ``(E) modernize and expand infrastructure at such a 
                school or branch campus; and
                    ``(F) support other activities that the Secretary 
                determines further the establishment, improvement, or 
                expansion of a school of medicine or osteopathic 
                medicine or branch campus of a school of medicine or 
                osteopathic medicine.
    ``(e) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), an institution of higher education (or a consortium of 
such institutions), shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require, including a description of the institution's or 
consortium's planned activities described in subsection (d).
    ``(f) Reporting.--
            ``(1) Reports from entities.--Each institution of higher 
        education, or consortium of such institutions, awarded a grant 
        under this section shall submit an annual report to the 
        Secretary on the activities conducted under such grant, and 
        other information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 5 years after the 
        date of enactment of this section and every 5 years thereafter, 
        the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report 
        that provides a summary of the activities and outcomes 
        associated with grants made under this section. Such reports 
        shall include--
                    ``(A) a list of awardees, including their primary 
                geographic location, and location of any school of 
                medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus of 
                school of medicine or osteopathic medicine that was 
                established, improved, or expanded under this program;
                    ``(B) the total number of students (including the 
                number of students from racial and ethnic groups 
                underrepresented among medical students and health 
                professions, low-income students, and first generation 
                college students) who--
                            ``(i) are enrolled at or who have graduated 
                        from any school of medicine or osteopathic 
                        medicine, or a branch campus of school of 
                        medicine or osteopathic medicine, that was 
                        established, improved, or expanded under this 
                        program, deidentified and disaggregated by 
                        race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, 
                        disability status, and other relevant factors, 
                        to the extent such information is available; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) who subsequently participate in an 
                        accredited internship or medical residency 
                        program upon graduation from any school of 
                        medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch 
                        campus of a school of medicine or osteopathic 
                        medicine, that was established, improved, or 
                        expanded under this program, deidentified and 
                        disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, 
                        geographic region, disability status, medical 
                        specialty pursued, and other relevant factors, 
                        to the extent such information is available;
                    ``(C) the effects of such program on the health 
                care provider workforce, including any impact on 
                demographic representation disaggregated by race, 
                ethnicity, and sex, and the fields or specialties 
                pursued by students who have graduated from any school 
                of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus 
                of school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, that was 
                established, improved, or expanded under this program;
                    ``(D) the effects of such program on health care 
                access in underserved areas, including medically 
                underserved communities and health professional 
                shortage areas; and
                    ``(E) recommendations for improving the program 
                described in this section, and any other considerations 
                as the Secretary determines appropriate.
            ``(3) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make 
        reports submitted under paragraph (2) publicly available on the 
        internet website of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Branch campus.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `branch campus', with 
                respect to a school of medicine or osteopathic 
                medicine, means an additional location of such school 
                that is geographically apart and independent of the 
                main campus, at which the school offers at least 50 
                percent of the program leading to a degree of doctor of 
                medicine or doctor of osteopathy that is offered at the 
                main campus.
                    ``(B) Independence from main campus.--For purposes 
                of subparagraph (A), the location of a school described 
                in such subparagraph shall be considered to be 
                independent of the main campus described in such 
                subparagraph if the location--
                            ``(i) is permanent in nature;
                            ``(ii) offers courses in educational 
                        programs leading to a degree, certificate, or 
                        other recognized educational credential;
                            ``(iii) has its own faculty and 
                        administrative or supervisory organization; and
                            ``(iv) has its own budgetary and hiring 
                        authority.
            ``(2) First generation college student.--The term `first 
        generation college student' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 402A(h)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            ``(3) Health professional shortage area.--The term `health 
        professional shortage area' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 332(a).
            ``(4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            ``(5) Medically underserved community.--The term `medically 
        underserved community' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 799B(6).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
section.''.
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