Native Health and Wellness Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4283 | Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul (D-CA)
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Native Health and Wellness Act of 2021
This bill establishes two grant programs to improve public health services in tribal communities.
First, the bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to Indian tribes or tribal organizations for promoting health, preventing disease, and reducing health disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must make grants to Indian tribes and tribal organizations for recruiting and mentoring American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults in health professions.

To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the public health 
   system in tribal communities and increase the number of American 
   Indians and Alaska Natives pursuing health careers, 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 ``Native Health and Wellness Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. TRIBAL HEALTH BLOCK GRANT.

    Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting 
after section 317U of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-23) the following new 
section:

``SEC. 317V. TRIBAL HEALTH BLOCK GRANT.

    ``(a) In General.--To the extent and in the amounts made available 
in advance by appropriations, the Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award 
a grant, in an amount determined pursuant to the formula developed 
under subsection (e), to each eligible Indian tribe or tribal 
organization for the purposes of promoting health, preventing disease, 
and reducing health disparities among American Indians and Alaska 
Natives.
    ``(b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall carry out this section, 
including the development of the formula required by subsection (e), in 
consultation with eligible Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section 
for a fiscal year, an Indian tribe or tribal organization shall submit 
to the Secretary a plan at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Each grantee under this section shall use the 
grant funds--
            ``(1) to establish or support preventive health service 
        programs that facilitate the achievement of health-status 
        goals;
            ``(2) to establish or support public health services that 
        reduce the prevalence of chronic disease among American Indians 
        and Alaska Natives; or
            ``(3) to strengthen public health infrastructure to 
        facilitate the surveillance and response to infectious disease 
        and foodborne illness outbreaks.
    ``(e) Formula.--The Secretary shall develop a formula to be used in 
allocating the total amount of funds made available to carry out this 
section for a fiscal year among the eligible Indian tribes and tribal 
organizations.
    ``(f) Reports.--Each grantee under this section shall submit 
reports at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `Indian tribe' and 
`tribal organization' have the meanings given to such terms in section 
4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $56,700,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026.''.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO RECRUIT AND MENTOR AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA 
              NATIVE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

    Subpart 3 of part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 295f et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:

``SEC. 779. RECRUITMENT AND MENTORING OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA 
              NATIVE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make grants to Indian tribes 
and tribal organizations for the purpose of recruiting and mentoring 
American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults in health 
professions.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--An Indian tribe or tribal organization 
receiving a grant under subsection (a) shall use the grant funds--
            ``(1) to expose American Indian and Alaska Native 
        adolescent youth or young adults to health professions;
            ``(2) to promote science education;
            ``(3) to establish mentoring relationships between--
                    ``(A) American Indian and Alaska Native youth or 
                young adults; and
                    ``(B) health professionals;
            ``(4) to provide hands-on learning experiences in a health 
        care setting;
            ``(5) to establish partnerships with institutions of higher 
        education (including tribal colleges), local educational 
        agencies, and other community-based entities to develop a 
        larger and more competitive applicant pool for health 
        professional careers; or
            ``(6) to provide counseling, mentoring, and other services 
        designed to assist American Indian and Alaska Native youth or 
        young adults in the pursuit of higher education with respect to 
        health professions.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Health profession.--The term `health profession' has 
        the meaning given to the term `Health profession' in section 4 
        of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
            ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
        meaning given to such term in section 4 of the Indian Health 
        Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
            ``(3) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian 
        Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        5304).
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026.''.
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