[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2591 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2591

  To reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2002

Ms. Mikulski (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Dodd, 
 Mrs. Hutchison, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Clinton, and Mrs. Carnahan) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
               on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act, 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 ``Mammography Quality Standards 
Reauthorization Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 354(r)(2) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263b(r)(2)) is amended by striking ``2002'' and 
inserting ``2007'' each place it appears.

SEC. 3. TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE.

    Section 354(c) of the Public Health Service (42 U.S.C. 263b) is 
amended by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3) and inserting 
after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Temporary issuance of a certificate.--The Secretary 
        may issue a temporary renewal certificate for a period not to 
        exceed 45 days to a facility seeking reaccreditation if the 
        facility's accreditation body has issued a 45-day accreditation 
        extension for one of the following reasons:
                    ``(A) The facility has met the established time 
                frames for submitting materials to the accreditation 
                body, but the accreditation body is unable to complete 
                the reaccreditation process before the certificate 
                expires.
                    ``(B) Circumstances such as the facility acquiring 
                additional or replacement equipment, low volume, or 
                significant personnel changes have caused the facility 
                to be unable to meet reaccreditation time frames.
                    ``(C) Other unforeseen situations have caused the 
                facility to be unable to meet reaccreditation 
                timeframes, but in the opinion of the accreditation 
                body, have not compromised the quality of 
                mammography.''.

SEC. 4. GAO STUDY.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (hereafter in 
this Act ``MQSA'') to--
            (1) evaluate the demonstration program regarding frequency 
        of inspections authorized under section 354(g) of the Public 
        Health Service Act, including the effect of the program on 
        compliance with MQSA;
            (2) evaluate the accessibility of mammography services;
            (3) evaluate the role of States in acting as both 
        accreditation bodies and certification bodies under MQSA; and
            (4) identify areas, if any, where the MQSA could be 
        improved to increase access to and quality of mammography 
        services for women.
    (b) Report.--Not earlier than 3 years, but not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General 
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 on the study described in subsection (a).

SEC. 5. INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE STUDY.

    (a) Study.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter 
into a contract with the Institute of Medicine for the purpose of 
conducting a study and making recommendations regarding the following:
            (1) Ways to encourage more radiologists to be adequately 
        trained in mammography interpretation.
            (2) Ways to ensure enough adequately trained personnel at 
        all levels to ensure the quality and availability of 
        mammography services to women.
            (3) Whether interventional mammography procedures should be 
        subject to the requirements of the MQSA.
            (4) Ways to improve continuing medical education 
        requirements, such as including an assessment of interpretive 
        skills, for physicians interpreting mammograms.
            (5) Other areas, if any, where the MQSA could be improved 
        to increase the quality of mammography services for women.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date on which the 
contract is entered into under subsection (a), the Institute of 
Medicine shall complete the study described under such subsection and 
submit a report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
                                 <all>