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Statutory Text

SEC. 10334. MINORITY HEALTH. (a) OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6) is amended—blic Health and Science’’ and all that follows through the end and inserting ‘‘. The Office of Minority Health as existing on the date of enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act shall be transferred to the Office of the Secretary in such manner that there is established in the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Minority Health, which shall be headed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health who shall report directly to the Secretary, and shall retain and strengthen authorities (as in existence on such date of enactment) for the purpose of improving minority health and the quality of health care minorities receive, and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall award grants, contracts, enter into memoranda of understanding, cooperative, interagency, intra-agency and other agreements with public and nonprofit private entities, agencies, as well as Departmental and Cabinet agencies and organizations, and with organizations that are indigenous human resource providers in communities of color to assure improved health status of racial and ethnic minorities, and shall develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of activities aimed at reducing health disparities and supporting the local community. Such measures shall evaluate community outreach activities, language services, workforce cultural competence, and other areas as determined by the Secretary.’’; and (B) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following: ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2016.’’. (2) TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS.—There are transferred to the Office of Minority Health in the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, all duties, responsibilities, authorities, accountabilities, functions, staff, funds, award mechanisms, and other entities under the authority of the Office of Minority Health of the Public Health Service as in effect on the date before the date of enactment of this Act, which shall continue in effect according to the terms in effect on the date before such date of enactment, until modified, terminated, superseded, set aside, or revoked in accordance with law by the President, the Secretary, a court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law. (3) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the activities carried out under section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act (as amended by this subsection) during the period for which the report is being prepared. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the heads of each of the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health a report summarizing the minority health activities of each of the respective agencies. (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF INDIVIDUAL OFFICES OF MINORITY HEALTH WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV- ICES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1707 the following section: ‘‘SEC. 1707A ø42 U.S.C. 300u–6a¿. INDIVIDUAL OFFICES OF MINORITY HEALTH WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The head of each agency specified in subsection (b)(1) shall establish within the agency an office to be known as the Office of Minority Health. The head of each such Office shall be appointed by the head of the agency within which the Office is established, and shall report directly to the head of the agency. The head of such agency shall carry out this section (as this section relates to the agency) acting through such Director. ‘‘(b) SPECIFIED AGENCIES.—The agencies referred to in subsection (a) are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ‘‘(c) DIRECTOR; APPOINTMENT.—Each Office of Minority Health established in an agency listed in subsection (a) shall be headed by a director, with documented experience and expertise in minority health services research and health disparities elimination. ‘‘(d) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise specified, any reference in Federal law to an Office of Minority Health (in the Department of Health and Human Services) is deemed to be a reference to the Office of Minority Health in the Office of the Secretary. ‘‘(e) FUNDING.— ‘‘(1) ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amounts appropriated for a specified agency for a fiscal year, the Secretary must designate an appropriate amount of funds for the purpose of carrying out activities under this section through the minority health office of the agency. In reserving an amount under the preceding sentence for a minority health office for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce, by substantially the same percentage, the amount that otherwise would be available for each of the programs of the designated agency involved. ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR STAFFING.—The purposes for which amounts made available under paragraph may be expended by a minority health office include the costs of employing staff for such office.’’. (2) NO NEW REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this subsection and the amendments made by this subsection may be construed as establishing regulatory authority or modifying any existing regulatory authority. (3) LIMITATION ON TERMINATION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Federal office of minority health or Federal appointive position with primary responsibility over minority health issues that is in existence in an office of agency of the Department of Health and Human Services on the date of enactment of this section shall not be terminated, reorganized, or have any of its power or duties transferred unless such termination, reorganization, or transfer is approved by an Act of Congress. (c) REDESIGNATION OF NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES.— (1) REDESIGNATION.—Title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended— (A) by redesignating subpart 6 of part E as subpart 20; (B) by transferring subpart 20, as so redesignated, to part C of such title IV; (C) by inserting subpart 20, as so redesignated, after subpart 19 of such part C; and (D) in subpart 20, as so redesignated— (i) by redesignating sections 485E through 485H as sections 464z–3 through 464z–6, respectively; (ii) by striking ‘‘National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities’’ each place such term appears and inserting ‘‘National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities’’; and (iii) by striking ‘‘Center’’ each place such term appears and inserting ‘‘Institute’’. (2) PURPOSE OF INSTITUTE; DUTIES.—Section 464z–3 of the Public Health Service Act, as so redesignated, is amended— (A) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘research endowments at centers of excellence under section 736.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘research endowments— ‘‘(1) at centers of excellence under section 736; and ‘‘(2) at centers of excellence under section 464z–4.’’; (B) in subsection (h)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘average’’ and inserting ‘‘median’’; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(h) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Director of the Institute, as the primary Federal officials with responsibility for coordinating all research and activities conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health on minority health and health disparities, shall plan, coordinate, review and evaluate research and other activities conducted or supported by the Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health.’’. (3) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— (A) Section 401(b)(24) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(b)(24)) is amended by striking ‘‘Center’’ and inserting ‘‘Institute’’. (B) Subsection (d)(1) of section 903 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299a–1(d)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 485E’’ and inserting ‘‘section 464z–3’’.