Health Equity for People with Disabilities Act

Bill: 117-s-4544
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2022-07-18
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Disability and health-based discrimination

Disability and paralysis

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions
Latest action: action_date: 2022-07-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-07-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Health Equity for People with Disabilities Act</strong></p> <p>This bill modifies certain grants available to health centers that offer primary health services to medically underserved populations to ensure that members of such populations with disabilities receive accessible health services.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4544 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 18, 2022 Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Kaine , Ms. Duckworth , and Mr. Merkley ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide health equity for people with disabilities.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Equity for People with Disabilities Act . 2. Health equity for people with disabilities (a) In general Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254b ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting including people with disabilities within these populations; after public housing, ; and (B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting including accessible healthcare services before the semicolon; (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1)(A)— (i) in clause (i), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting , including accessible healthcare services after health services ; (ii) in clause (iv), by inserting , including people with disabilities, after enable individuals ; and (iii) in clause (v), by inserting , including people with disabilities, after health center ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (4) Disability The term disability has the meaning given such term in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. ; (3) in subsection (c)(1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— (i) by inserting , including people with disabilities within these medically underserved populations before the first period; and (ii) by inserting accessible after lease of ; and (B) in subparagraph (E), by inserting non-profit health and wellness agencies, after local hospitals, ; (4) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting or with disabilities before the semicolon; and (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting or for addressing barriers to care affecting people with disabilities in their communities before the period; (5) in subsection (e)(6)(A)(ii), insert “, or will serve a significant population of people with disabilities” after “other applicants”; (6) in subsection (f)(1)(B), by inserting , including people with disabilities, after women and children ; (7) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by inserting , including people with disabilities before the semicolon; (8) in subsection (h)(1), by striking and veterans at risk of homelessness and inserting veterans at risk of homelessness, and people with disabilities who are homeless or at risk of homelessness ; (9) in subsection (i)(1), by inserting , inclusive of people with disabilities in these communities before the period; and (10) in subsection (j)(4)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ; or ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (C) provide communication devices, aids, or services to meet disability accessibility requirements. . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to modify the manner in which funding is provided to targeted populations on the date of enactment of this Act or to otherwise shift the focus of programming for such populations. Such amendments are intended to ensure that members of targeted populations with disabilities are included in such programming, have access to care, and are served under programs under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (as amended by this section).