107th Congress

Health Care Safety Net Amendents
(Loan Repayment Reports)

P.L. 107-251 (H.R. 3450, S. 1533/S. Report 107-83)

Impact of Public Law

P.L. 107-251, the Health Care Safety Net Amendments, repeals the requirement for the Health Resources and Services Administration loan repayment program (LRP) reporting requirements, which also repeals the National Institutes of Health LRP reporting requirements, which were mandated under the National Health Service (NHS) authorities. Specifically, this repeals Section 338B(i) of the Public Health Service Act, which required an annual report to Congress on the NHS Corps Loan Repayment Program.

Legislative History

P.L. 107-251 reauthorizes the Community Health Center program, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and rural outreach grants to ensure that both the uninsured and the underinsured have access to quality health care services. The legislation increases the funding authorization for health centers to $1.293 billion and includes language allowing health centers to provide behavioral, mental health, and substance abuse services if they choose. The legislation also reauthorizes NHSC, which serves as a pipeline for health care facilities that have trouble attracting health professionals, and strengthens the service obligation requirements of the program. By strengthening this provision, health care facilities using program graduates can be certain that health corps personnel will fulfill their entire service contract.

Since its creation in 1972, NHSC operates two programs to help meet the needs of underserved communities: the scholarship program, which provides funds to students for educational living expenses during health care practitioner training, and the LRP, which provides financial assistance to help newly graduated practitioners repay their educational loans. For each year that the NHSC scholarship program or LRP provides support, participants are obligated to provide 1 year of medical care in underserved communities.

S. 1533, the Health Care Safety Net Amendments, was introduced on October 11, 2001, by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The bill was reported out of that Committee on the same day and passed in the Senate on April 16, 2002, by unanimous consent.

H.R. 3450, the Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act, was introduced on December 11, 2001, by Representative Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. On October 1, 2002, the bill passed the House by a voice vote. The bill, as amended, passed the House on October 16, and the Senate concurred with the House-amended bill on October 17. The legislation was signed by the President on October 26 as P.L. 107-251.