[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9105 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9105
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the establishment
of the National Medical Corps Program to create pathway programs for
community college students to pursue premedical training and enter
medical school, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 30, 2022
Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Chu, and Mr. Bera) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the establishment
of the National Medical Corps Program to create pathway programs for
community college students to pursue premedical training and enter
medical school, 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 ``National Medical Corps Act'' or the
``NMC Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS PROGRAMS.
Part B of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 741A. NATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS PROGRAMS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor, shall make grants
to, and enter into contracts with, eligible entities for the purpose of
establishing programs to assist community college students to pursue
premedical training and enter medical school (referred to in this
section as an `NMC Program', by addressing--
``(1) the shortage of primary care physicians and
psychiatrists in vulnerable and underserved communities; and
``(2) the widening disparities in access to care in such
communities.
``(b) Eligible Entity.--An entity is eligible to receive a grant or
enter into a contract under this section if the entity is a school of
medicine, an institution of higher education, or a public or private
nonprofit health or educational institution (other than a school of
nursing) that--
``(1) forms a consortium that includes, at a minimum--
``(A) 3 community colleges in the region in which
the consortium serves;
``(B) one 4-year public or private nonprofit
undergraduate institution in the region;
``(C) one public or private nonprofit accredited
medical school located in a State;
``(D) one primary care association or consortium of
community health centers;
``(E) at least one community health center,
inclusive of federally qualified health centers,
federally qualified health center look-alikes, rural
health centers, migrant health centers, frontier health
centers, indian health service clinics, and free
clinics; and
``(F) other such entities as considered appropriate
by the Secretary; and
``(2) has established, or commits to establish, a community
advisory board that is--
``(A) comprised of local business, education,
health industry, and other community leaders to oversee
and guide the programmatic direction of the program;
and
``(B) intended to guide the unique establishment of
regional partnerships and opportunities for students
along the pathway to support the accomplishment of its
targets for student outcomes.
``(c) Application; Selection.--
``(1) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant
under this section shall submit an application at such time and
in such manner as the Secretary may require. Such application
shall contain--
``(A) the name of the entity selected to operate as
the lead entity of the consortium;
``(B) documentation supporting the entity's
eligibility; and
``(C) such other information as the Secretary may
require.
``(2) Selection.--The Secretary shall select, on a
competitive basis--
``(A) 20 eligible entities in the first full
calendar year beginning on or after the date of the
enactment of this section; and
``(B) 20 eligible entities in each of the 5
subsequent calendar years.
``(d) Conditions on Awards.--The recipient of a grant shall, as a
condition on receiving such a grant agree--
``(1) that a student selected to participate in an NMC
Program (referred to in this section as a `National Medical
Corps Scholar' or an `NMC Scholar') shall be--
``(A) a community college student who has completed
at least one semester of community college and is
intending to transfer to a 4-year college pre-medical
program with the intent to pursue a career in primary
care medicine or psychiatry;
``(B) from an economically or educationally
disadvantaged background; and
``(C) a citizen, national, or lawful permanent
resident of the United States;
``(2) to verify that each individual seeking to be selected
as an NMC Scholar--
``(A) intends to pursue practice as a physician who
practices primary care or psychiatry;
``(B) intends to serve in the National Health
Service Corps; or
``(C) has been determined under subsection (f) to
be from an economically or educationally disadvantaged
background;
``(3) to provide to each NMC Scholar a student-identifying
marker prior to entering medical school and to require that the
NMC Scholar, as a condition on receipt of support, provides to
the grant recipient the National Provider Identifier of the NMC
Scholar when the Scholar enters medical school;
``(4) to select and support (through the provision of
scholarships and wrap around services) not fewer than 50 NMC
Scholars each year of the grant, selected from three or more of
the populations described in subsection (e);
``(5) to track the academic and career pathway of such NMC
scholars from community college through medical school;
``(6) to provide individualized guidance with respect to
pursuing an alternate career pathway to NMC scholars that elect
not to pursue a career as physicians in primary care or
psychiatry; and
``(7) to limit the amount of an award to an NMC Scholar in
a fiscal year to the costs of attendance for the applicable
school year.
``(e) Populations Described.--The populations described in this
subsection are each of the following:
``(1) Individuals enrolled in 2-year community college
programs with the intention to transfer to a 4-year institution
of higher education.
``(2) Community college transfer students who are currently
enrolled in a 4-year institution of higher education with
intention to apply to medical school.
``(3) Individuals enrolled in medical school who--
``(A) were previously enrolled for a period of at
least 1 year at a community college after completing
secondary school but before obtaining a bachelor's
degree; and
``(B) intend to pursue training in primary care or
psychiatry to serve rural or underserved communities.
``(f) Economically or Educationally Disadvantaged Background.--To
determine if a student seeking to be selected as an NMC Scholar is from
an economically or educationally disadvantaged background, the
recipient of a grant under this section shall--
``(1) first determine if such student is from an
economically disadvantaged background; and
``(2) if a student has been determined not to be from an
economically disadvantaged background, the recipient shall
evaluate whether the student is from a educationally
disadvantaged background.
``(g) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity selected to receive a grant
under this section may use funds received through the grant to--
``(1) conduct outreach toward, and recruitment and
enrollment of, NMC Scholars;
``(2) plan, develop, and operate a program to support NMC
Scholars' career progression into medical school, including
providing advising, mentoring, academic supports for transfer,
medical school applications, and identifying and pursuing
extracurricular and work opportunities aligned with future
health careers, such as part-time employment in a health,
public health, or primary care-related position;
``(3) provide financial assistance in the form of
scholarships or stipends for NMC Scholars from community
college through entry to medical school;
``(4) coordinate NMC Program activities with other existing
Federal, State, local, and institutions resources, including
the Health Careers Opportunity program under section 736, area
health education centers under section 751, programs and
services for disabled students under subtitle A of title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Federal TRIO programs
under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq.);
``(5) implement data sharing, analysis, and the continuous
testing of data-informed practices, to foster a statewide
collaboration of mutual accountability for improvement,
consistent with applicable State and Federal law;
``(6) cover the costs associated with maintaining the
consortium and advisory board;
``(7) support training in community-based organizations,
such as community health centers;
``(8) develop a partnership agreement and support NMC
Scholars with one or more campus-based learning communities,
groups, or entities; and
``(9) implement and adopt premedical advising standards or
standardized guidelines as set out by the consortium lead, in
collaboration with consortium membership, including community
colleges, four-year undergraduate institutions, and
participating schools of medicine.
``(h) Priorities in Making Awards.--In awarding grants or contracts
under this section, the Secretary may give priority to consortia that
include at least one--
``(1) minority-serving institution, including a
historically Black college or university;
``(2) Hispanic-serving institution;
``(3) Tribal college or university;
``(4) Asian American and Pacific Islander serving
institution;
``(5) Native Hawaiian-serving institution; or
``(6) Native American-serving non-Tribal institution.
``(i) Coordination With NHSC.--Individuals selected as NMC Scholars
shall receive priority consideration for an award under for National
Health Service Corps Scholarship Program under section 338A and the
National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program under section
338B.
``(j) Report to Secretary.-- Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this section and every calendar year thereafter,
each consortium selected to receive a grant under this section shall
submit to the Secretary a report on the following with respect to the
preceding year:
``(1) The selection criteria and process used to ensure
that the members of the consortium and advisory board represent
the intended communities to be served and the demographics of
such members and advisory board.
``(2) A summary of the roles of the members of the
consortium and advisory board.
``(3) The selection criteria, process, and strategy used by
the consortium to recruit, engage, and select NMC Scholars.
``(4) With respect to the NMC Scholars participating in the
NMC Program--
``(A) self-reported demographic data (including
race and ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, date of birth, English proficiency status,
fluency in other languages, disadvantaged (educational
or economic) background status, disability, the census
tract or current address, or other demographic data as
appropriate);
``(B) the percentages of NMC Scholars who
successfully achieve transfer-level math and English by
the completion of their second year enrolled in a
community college, disaggregated by race and ethnicity
of student populations so enrolled in such a community
college;
``(C) the rate of acceptance to participating 4-
year institutions of higher education and 4-year
college pre-medical training programs for transfer
students applying from participating community
colleges;
``(D) the rate of NMC scholars eligible to
transfer, or accepted to attend, a participating 4-year
institution of higher education after completing two
years, two and one-half years, or three or more years,
in special circumstances, of enrollment in a community
college.
``(E) when available, career advancement data,
including--
``(i) whether the scholar was accepted to a
4-year institution of higher education, medical
school, another health professions program, or
another STEM professions program;
``(ii) whether the scholar graduated from
medical school, another health professions
program, or another STEM professions program;
``(iii) whether the scholar pursued a
career in primary care, psychiatry, or another
health profession in a rural or underserved
setting;
``(iv) the National Provider Identifier
assigned to such student, as available; and
``(v) such other information as determined
to be appropriate by the Secretary.
``(5) An evaluation of the success of the NMC Program,
including with respect to--
``(A) whether the program was able to support not
less than 50 students in the first year of
implementation of the program;
``(B) the number of semesters in community college
each such student enrolled in, what type of college or
university the student was enrolled in, which degree
the student pursued, and which career pathway the
student is pursuing;
``(C) whether the program developed a partnership
agreement with one or more campus-based learning
communities, groups, or entities, as specified in
subsection (g)(8); and
``(D) whether and to what extent the program was
able to align its goals and equity strategies, and
maximize the use of available resources and funds, as
specified in subsection (d)(4).
``(k) Report to Congress.--Not later than the end of fiscal year
2028, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, shall submit an annual report to
the Congress that--
``(1) summarizes the information submitted in the
evaluation and report under subsections (j) and (k);
``(2) describes the contracts, strategy, and goals shared
between the Secretary and each consortium receiving a grant
under this section;
``(3) includes data on the planned and actual use of funds
by the consortium and the Secretary in carrying out this
section;
``(4) assesses the goals and progress of the NMC Program,
including the potential impact of NMC Scholars on health care
access and quality; and
``(5) makes recommendations for improvements to the
program.
``(l) Privacy Protections.--In publishing data under this section,
the Secretary shall take all necessary steps to protect the privacy of
individuals whose information is included in such data, including--
``(1) complying with privacy protections comparable to
those applicable under the HIPAA privacy regulation (as defined
in section 1180(b)(3) of the Social Security Act) to covered
entities (as defined for purposes of such regulation);
``(2) not using or disclosing the information generated
pursuant to the program for any purpose other than carrying out
the program; and
``(3) not publishing or selling individually identifiable
information generated pursuant to the program nor transmitting
such data for purposes other than carrying out the program,
including not sharing such information with any local, State,
or Federal law enforcement agency.
``(m) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `State' means each State of the United
States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of
the United States, and any other territory or possession of the
United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.
``(2) The term `educationally disadvantaged', with respect
to the background of a student seeking to be selected as an NMC
scholar, means that the student--
``(A) is a member of a racial and ethnic minority
group (as defined in section 1707) that is under-
represented in medicine;
``(B) resides in a low-income community;
``(C) is a first-generation college attendee;
``(D) attended high school--
``(i) in a health professional shortage
area designated under section 332 or a
medically underserved area (as defined in
section 330I(a)) or in a rural setting (as
defined by the Office of Rural Health Policy);
or
``(ii) with a low grade point average (2.0
cumulative on a 4.0 scale), based on most
recent annual data available;
``(iii) based on the most recent annual
data available, had either--
``(I) a low percentage of seniors
receiving a high school diploma; or
``(II) a low percentage of
graduates who go to college during the
first year after graduation; or
``(iv) has low per capita funding; or
``(v) based on the most recent annual data
available, a high rate of the enrolled students
are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
``(3) The term `primary care' means, with respect to a
physician, practicing as a general practitioner, family
practice practitioner, general internist, pediatrician,
psychiatrist, or obstetrician or gynecologist.
``(n) Funding.--
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
``(A) $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
``(B) $54,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
``(C) $81,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;
``(D) $108,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
``(E) $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
``(2) Allocation among consortia.--Of the amount made
available under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary
shall allot not more than $1, 350,000 to each consortium.
``(3) Limitation on administrative expenses.--A consortium
may use not more than 30 percent of funds allocated to such
consortium for administrative expenses of the consortium in
carrying out an NMC Program.''.
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