S. 66

A BILL

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend certain programs relating to the education of individuals as health professionals, 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 `Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Education Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.

Subpart 2 of part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 769, the following:

`SEC. 769A. PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, programs of physical therapy and occupational therapy for the purpose of planning and implementing projects to recruit and retain faculty and students, develop curriculum, support the distribution of physical therapy and occupational therapy practitioners in underserved areas, or support the continuing development of these professions.

`(b) PREFERENCE IN MAKING GRANTS- In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to qualified applicants that seek to educate physical therapists or occupational therapists in rural or urban medically underserved communities, or to expand post-professional programs for the advanced education of physical therapy or occupational therapy practitioners.

`(c) PEER REVIEW- Each peer review group under section 799(f) that is reviewing proposals for grants or contracts under subsection (a) shall include not fewer than 2 physical therapists or occupational therapists.

`(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prepare a report that--

`(A) summarizes the applications submitted to the Secretary for grants or contracts under subsection (a);

`(B) specifies the identity of entities receiving the grants or contracts; and

`(C) evaluates the effectiveness of the program based upon the objectives established by the entities receiving the grants or contracts.

`(2) DATE CERTAIN FOR SUBMISSION- Not later than February 1, 2003, the Secretary shall submit the report prepared under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

`(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2005.'.