119-s975

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 975 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 975

To establish a grant program to support schools of medicine and schools 
 of osteopathic medicine in underserved areas.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 12, 2025

Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To establish a grant program to support schools of medicine and schools 
 of osteopathic medicine in underserved areas.

 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 ``Expanding Medical Education Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AND SCHOOLS OF OSTEOPATHIC 
 MEDICINE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.

 Subpart II of part C of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 293m et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 749C. GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AND SCHOOLS OF OSTEOPATHIC 
 MEDICINE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to institutions 
of higher education (including consortiums of such institutions) for 
the establishment, improvement, or expansion of a school of medicine or 
osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus of a school of medicine or 
osteopathic medicine.
 ``

    (b) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to any institution of higher 
education (or consortium of such institutions) that--
 ``

    (1) proposes to use the grant for the establishment of a 
 school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus 
 of a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, in an area--
 ``
        (A) in which--
 ``
            (i) no other such school is based; or
 ``
            (ii) in the case in which the school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine proposed to be 
 established would be a minority-serving 
 institution, no other minority-serving 
 institution that includes a school of medicine 
 or osteopathic medicine is based; and
 ``
        (B) that is a medically underserved community or 
 a health professional shortage area; or
 ``

    (2) is a minority-serving institution described in 
 

section 371

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or an 
 institution or program described in 

section 326

    (e) of such Act.
 ``
            (c) Considerations.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary, to the extent practicable, may ensure equitable distribution 
of awards among the geographical regions of the United States.
 ``
            (d) Use of Funds.--An institution of higher education (or a 
consortium of such institutions)--
 ``

    (1) shall use grant amounts received under this section 
 to--
 ``
        (A) recruit, enroll, and retain medical students 
 who are pursuing a degree of doctor of medicine or 
 doctor of osteopathy, including individuals who are 
 from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and 
 ethnic groups underrepresented among medical students 
 and health professions), individuals from rural and 
 underserved areas, low-income individuals, and first 
 generation college students, at a school of medicine or 
 osteopathic medicine or branch campus of a school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine; and
 ``
        (B) develop, implement, and expand curriculum 
 that emphasizes care for rural and underserved 
 populations, including accessible and culturally and 
 linguistically appropriate care and services, at such 
 school or branch campus; and
 ``

    (2) may use grant amounts received under this section 
 to--
 ``
        (A) plan and construct--
 ``
            (i) a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine, or a branch campus of a school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine, in an area in 
 which no other such school is based; or
 ``
            (ii) a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine, or a branch campus of a school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine, that will be 
 a minority-serving institution, in an area in 
 which no other such school that is a minority-
 serving institution is based;
 ``
        (B) plan, develop, and meet criteria for 
 accreditation for a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine or branch campus of a school of medicine or 
 osteopathic medicine;
 ``
            (C) hire faculty, including faculty from racial 
 and ethnic groups who are underrepresented among the 
 medical and other health professions, and other staff 
 to serve at such a school or branch campus;
 ``
            (D) support educational programs at such a school 
 or branch campus;
 ``
        (E) modernize and expand infrastructure at such a 
 school or branch campus; and
 ``
        (F) support other activities that the Secretary 
 determines further the establishment, improvement, or 
 expansion of a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine or branch campus of a school of medicine or 
 osteopathic medicine.
 ``

    (e) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection

    (a) , an institution of higher education (or a consortium of 
such institutions), shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require, including a description of the institution's or 
consortium's planned activities described in subsection
            (d) .
 ``

    (f) Reporting.--
 ``

    (1) Reports from entities.--Each institution of higher 
 education, or consortium of such institutions, awarded a grant 
 under this section shall submit an annual report to the 
 Secretary on the activities conducted under such grant, and 
 other information as the Secretary may require.
 ``

    (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 5 years after the 
 date of enactment of this section and every 5 years thereafter, 
 the Secretary 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 
 that provides a summary of the activities and outcomes 
 associated with grants made under this section. Such reports 
 shall include--
 ``
        (A) a list of awardees, including their primary 
 geographic location, and location of any school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus of 
 school of medicine or osteopathic medicine that was 
 established, improved, or expanded under this program;
 ``
        (B) the total number of students (including the 
 number of students from racial and ethnic groups 
 underrepresented among medical students and health 
 professions, low-income students, and first generation 
 college students) who--
 ``
            (i) are enrolled at or who have graduated 
 from any school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine, or a branch campus of school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine, that was 
 established, improved, or expanded under this 
 program, deidentified and disaggregated by 
 race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, 
 disability status, and other relevant factors, 
 to the extent such information is available; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) who subsequently participate in an 
 accredited internship or medical residency 
 program upon graduation from any school of 
 medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch 
 campus of a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine, that was established, improved, or 
 expanded under this program, deidentified and 
 disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, 
 geographic region, disability status, medical 
 specialty pursued, and other relevant factors, 
 to the extent such information is available;
 ``
            (C) the effects of such program on the health 
 care provider workforce, including any impact on 
 demographic representation disaggregated by race, 
 ethnicity, and sex, and the fields or specialties 
 pursued by students who have graduated from any school 
 of medicine or osteopathic medicine, or a branch campus 
 of school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, that was 
 established, improved, or expanded under this program;
 ``
            (D) the effects of such program on health care 
 access in underserved areas, including medically 
 underserved communities and health professional 
 shortage areas; and
 ``
        (E) recommendations for improving the program 
 described in this section, and any other considerations 
 as the Secretary determines appropriate.
 ``

    (3) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make 
 reports submitted under paragraph

    (2) publicly available on the 
 website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
 ``

    (g) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Branch campus.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The term `branch campus', with 
 respect to a school of medicine or osteopathic 
 medicine, means an additional location of such school 
 that is geographically apart and independent of the 
 main campus, at which the school offers at least 50 
 percent of the program leading to a degree of doctor of 
 medicine or doctor of osteopathy that is offered at the 
 main campus.
 ``
        (B) Independence from main campus.--For purposes 
 of subparagraph
        (A) , the location of a school described 
 in such subparagraph shall be considered to be 
 independent of the main campus described in such 
 subparagraph if the location--
 ``
            (i) is permanent in nature;
 ``
            (ii) offers courses in educational 
 programs leading to a degree, certificate, or 
 other recognized educational credential;
 ``
            (iii) has its own faculty and 
 administrative or supervisory organization; and
 ``
            (iv) has its own budgetary and hiring 
 authority.
 ``

    (2) First generation college student.--The term `first 
 generation college student' has the meaning given such term in 
 

section 402A

    (h)

    (3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
 ``

    (3) Health professional shortage area.--The term `health 
 professional shortage area' has the meaning given such term in 
 

section 332

    (a) .
 ``

    (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
 `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
 ``

    (5) Medically underserved community.--The term `medically 
 underserved community' has the meaning given such term in 
 

section 799B

    (6) .
 ``

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
section.''.
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