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Statutory Text

SEC. 5315. UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES TRACK. Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘PART D—UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES TRACK ‘‘SEC. 271 ø42 U.S.C. 239l¿. ESTABLISHMENT. ‘‘(a) UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES TRACK.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby authorized to be established a United States Public Health Sciences Track (referred to in this part as the ‘Track’), at sites to be selected by the Secretary, with authority to grant appropriate advanced degrees in a manner that uniquely emphasizes team-based service, public health, epidemiology, and emergency preparedness and response. It shall be so organized as to graduate not less than— ‘‘(A) 150 medical students annually, 10 of whom shall be awarded studentships to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences; ‘‘(B) 100 dental students annually; ‘‘(C) 250 nursing students annually; ‘‘(D) 100 public health students annually; ‘‘(E) 100 behavioral and mental health professional students annually; ‘‘(F) 100 physician assistant or nurse practitioner students annually; and ‘‘(G) 50 pharmacy students annually. ‘‘(2) LOCATIONS.—The Track shall be located at existing and accredited, affiliated health professions education training programs at academic health centers located in regions of the United States determined appropriate by the Surgeon General, in consultation with the National Health Care Workforce Commission established in section 5101 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. ‘‘(b) NUMBER OF GRADUATES.—Except as provided in subsection (a), the number of persons to be graduated from the Track shall be prescribed by the Secretary. In so prescribing the number of persons to be graduated from the Track, the Secretary shall institute actions necessary to ensure the maximum number of first-year enrollments in the Track consistent with the academic capacity of the affiliated sites and the needs of the United States for medical, dental, and nursing personnel. ‘‘(c) DEVELOPMENT.—The development of the Track may be by such phases as the Secretary may prescribe subject to the requirements of subsection (a). ‘‘(d) INTEGRATED LONGITUDINAL PLAN.—The Surgeon General shall develop an integrated longitudinal plan for health professions continuing education throughout the continuum of health-related education, training, and practice. Training under such plan shall emphasize patient-centered, interdisciplinary, and care coordination skills. Experience with deployment of emergency response teams shall be included during the clinical experiences. ‘‘(e) FACULTY DEVELOPMENT.—The Surgeon General shall develop faculty development programs and curricula in decentralized venues of health care, to balance urban, tertiary, and inpatient venues. ‘‘SEC. 272 ø42 U.S.C. 239l–1¿. ADMINISTRATION. ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The business of the Track shall be conducted by the Surgeon General with funds appropriated for and provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Health Care Workforce Commission shall assist the Surgeon General in an advisory capacity. ‘‘(b) FACULTY.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Surgeon General, after considering the recommendations of the National Health Care Workforce Commission, shall obtain the services of such professors, instructors, and administrative and other employees as may be necessary to operate the Track, but utilize when possible, existing affiliated health professions training institutions. Members of the faculty and staff shall be employed under salary schedules and granted retirement and other related benefits prescribed by the Secretary so as to place the employees of the Track faculty on a comparable basis with the employees of fully accredited schools of the health professions within the United States. ‘‘(2) TITLES.—The Surgeon General may confer academic titles, as appropriate, upon the members of the faculty. ‘‘(3) NONAPPLICATION OF PROVISIONS.—The limitations in section 5373 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the authority of the Surgeon General under paragraph (1) to prescribe salary schedules and other related benefits. ‘‘(c) AGREEMENTS.—The Surgeon General may negotiate agreements with agencies of the Federal Government to utilize on a reimbursable basis appropriate existing Federal medical resources located in the United States (or locations selected in accordance with section 271(a)(2)). Under such agreements the facilities concerned will retain their identities and basic missions. The Surgeon General may negotiate affiliation agreements with accredited universities and health professions training institutions in the United States. Such agreements may include provisions for payments for educational services provided students participating in Department of Health and Human Services educational programs. ‘‘(d) PROGRAMS.—The Surgeon General may establish the following educational programs for Track students: ‘‘(1) Postdoctoral, postgraduate, and technological programs. ‘‘(2) A cooperative program for medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students. ‘‘(3) Other programs that the Surgeon General determines necessary in order to operate the Track in a cost-effective manner. ‘‘(e) CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION.—The Surgeon General shall establish programs in continuing medical education for members of the health professions to the end that high standards of health care may be maintained within the United States. ‘‘(f) AUTHORITY OF THE SURGEON GENERAL.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Surgeon General is authorized— ‘‘(A) to enter into contracts with, accept grants from, and make grants to any nonprofit entity for the purpose of carrying out cooperative enterprises in medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing research, consultation, and education; ‘‘(B) to enter into contracts with entities under which the Surgeon General may furnish the services of such professional, technical, or clerical personnel as may be necessary to fulfill cooperative enterprises undertaken by the Track; ‘‘(C) to accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of personal property made to the Track, including any gift, devise, or bequest for the support of an academic chair, teaching, research, or demonstration project; ‘‘(D) to enter into agreements with entities that may be utilized by the Track for the purpose of enhancing the activities of the Track in education, research, and technological applications of knowledge; and ‘‘(E) to accept the voluntary services of guest scholars and other persons. ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—The Surgeon General may not enter into any contract with an entity if the contract would obligate the Track to make outlays in advance of the enactment of budget authority for such outlays. ‘‘(3) SCIENTISTS.—Scientists or other medical, dental, or nursing personnel utilized by the Track under an agreement described in paragraph (1) may be appointed to any position within the Track and may be permitted to perform such duties within the Track as the Surgeon General may approve. ‘‘(4) VOLUNTEER SERVICES.—A person who provides voluntary services under the authority of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) shall be considered to be an employee of the Federal Government for the purposes of chapter 81 of title 5, relating to compensation for work-related injuries, and to be an employee of the Federal Government for the purposes of chapter 171 of title 28, relating to tort claims. Such a person who is not otherwise employed by the Federal Government shall not be considered to be a Federal employee for any other purpose by reason of the provision of such services. ‘‘SEC. 273 ø42 U.S.C. 239l–2¿. STUDENTS; SELECTION; OBLIGATION. ‘‘(a) STUDENT SELECTION.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students at the Track shall be selected under procedures prescribed by the Surgeon General. In so prescribing, the Surgeon General shall consider the recommendations of the National Health Care Workforce Commission. ‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In developing admissions procedures under paragraph (1), the Surgeon General shall ensure that such procedures give priority to applicant medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students from rural communities and underrepresented minorities. ‘‘(b) CONTRACT AND SERVICE OBLIGATION.— ‘‘(1) CONTRACT.—Upon being admitted to the Track, a medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, or nursing student shall enter into a written contract with the Surgeon General that shall contain— ‘‘(A) an agreement under which— ‘‘(i) subject to subparagraph (B), the Surgeon General agrees to provide the student with tuition (or tuition remission) and a student stipend (described in paragraph (2)) in each school year for a period of years (not to exceed 4 school years) determined by the student, during which period the student is enrolled in the Track at an affiliated or other participating health professions institution pursuant to an agreement between the Track and such institution; and ‘‘(ii) subject to subparagraph (B), the student agrees— ‘‘(I) to accept the provision of such tuition and student stipend to the student; ‘‘(II) to maintain enrollment at the Track until the student completes the course of study involved; ‘‘(III) while enrolled in such course of study, to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the Surgeon General); ‘‘(IV) if pursuing a degree from a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, dental, public health, or nursing school or a physician assistant, pharmacy, or behavioral and mental health professional program, to complete a residency or internship in a specialty that the Surgeon General determines is appropriate; and ‘‘(V) to serve for a period of time (referred to in this part as the ‘period of obligated service’) within the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service equal to 2 years for each school year during which such individual was enrolled at the College, reduced as provided for in paragraph (3); ‘‘(B) a provision that any financial obligation of the United States arising out of a contract entered into under this part and any obligation of the student which is conditioned thereon, is contingent upon funds being appropriated to carry out this part; ‘‘(C) a statement of the damages to which the United States is entitled for the student’s breach of the contract; and ‘‘(D) such other statements of the rights and liabilities of the Secretary and of the individual, not inconsistent with the provisions of this part. ‘‘(2) TUITION AND STUDENT STIPEND.— ‘‘(A) TUITION REMISSION RATES.—The Surgeon General, based on the recommendations of the National Health Care Workforce Commission, shall establish Federal tuition remission rates to be used by the Track to provide reimbursement to affiliated and other participating health professions institutions for the cost of educational services provided by such institutions to Track students. The agreement entered into by such participating institutions under paragraph (1)(A)(i) shall contain an agreement to accept as payment in full the established remission rate under this subparagraph. ‘‘(B) STIPEND.—The Surgeon General, based on the recommendations of the National Health Care Workforce Commission, shall establish and update Federal stipend rates for payment to students under this part. ‘‘(3) REDUCTIONS IN THE PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.— The period of obligated service under paragraph (1)(A)(ii)(V) shall be reduced— ‘‘(A) in the case of a student who elects to participate in a high-needs speciality residency (as determined by the National Health Care Workforce Commission), by 3 months for each year of such participation (not to exceed a total of 12 months); and ‘‘(B) in the case of a student who, upon completion of their residency, elects to practice in a Federal medical facility (as defined in section 781(e)) that is located in a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 332), by 3 months for year of full-time practice in such a facility (not to exceed a total of 12 months). ‘‘(c) SECOND 2 YEARS OF SERVICE.—During the third and fourth years in which a medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, or nursing student is enrolled in the Track, training should be designed to prioritize clinical rotations in Federal medical facilities in health professional shortage areas, and emphasize a balance of hospital and community-based experiences, and training within interdisciplinary teams. ‘‘(d) DENTIST, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, PHARMACIST, BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, AND NURSE TRAINING.—The Surgeon General shall establish provisions applicable with respect to dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students that are comparable to those for medical students under this section, including service obligations, tuition support, and stipend support. The Surgeon General shall give priority to health professions training institutions that train medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students for some significant period of time together, but at a minimum have a discrete and shared core curriculum. ‘‘(e) ELITE FEDERAL DISASTER TEAMS.—The Surgeon General, in consultation with the Secretary, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other appropriate military and Federal government agencies, shall develop criteria for the appointment of highly qualified Track faculty, medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, and nursing students, and graduates to elite Federal disaster preparedness teams to train and to respond to public health emergencies, natural disasters, bioterrorism events, and other emergencies. ‘‘(f) STUDENT DROPPED FROM TRACK IN AFFILIATE SCHOOL.—A medical, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, behavioral and mental health, public health, or nursing student who, under regulations prescribed by the Surgeon General, is dropped from the Track in an affiliated school for deficiency in conduct or studies, or for other reasons, shall be liable to the United States for all tuition and stipend support provided to the student. ‘‘SEC. 274 ø42 U.S.C. 239l–3¿. FUNDING. ‘‘Beginning with fiscal year 2010, the Secretary shall transfer from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund such sums as may be necessary to carry out this part.’’.