S.Amdt. 2944

SA 2944. Mrs. BOXER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2786 proposed by Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr.
Dodd, and Mr. Harkin) to the bill H.R. 3590, to amend the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the
case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal
employees, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the
table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle D of title V, add the following:

SEC. 5316. GERIATRIC HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.

(a) Investment in Tomorrow's Geriatric Health Care
Workforce.--Part E of title VII of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.), as amended by section 5314, is
further amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 779. INVESTMENT IN TOMORROW'S GERIATRIC HEALTH CARE
WORKFORCE.

``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and
carry out a Geriatric and Gerontology Loan Repayment Program
under which the eligible individual agrees to be employed
full-time for a specified period (which shall not be less
than 2 years) as a physician, physician assistant, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, pharmacist,
psychologist, physical therapist, or social worker in
geriatric care practice.
``(b) Program Administration.--Under the program
established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall enter
into contracts with qualified health professionals described
in subsection (c) under which--
``(1) such qualified health professionals agree to provide
full-time clinical practice and service to older adults
through work serving, or for a provider serving--
``(A) an area with shortage of the specified geriatric or
gerontology specialty that has a sufficient population of
older adults to support such geriatric or gerontology
speciality, as determined by the Secretary; and
``(B) a medically underserved community (including a health
professional shortage area), or a medically underserved
population; and
``(2) the Secretary agrees to make payments on the
principal and interest of the graduate medical education
loans of professionals described in paragraph (1) that--
``(A) are not more than $35,000 a year for each year of
agreed upon service under such paragraph for a period of not
more than 4 years; and
``(B) are not more than 1/4 of the total of such principal
and interest, for each year of the service, for a period of
not more than 4 years.
``(c) Qualified Health Professionals.--
``(1) In general.--A qualified health professional
described in this subsection is an individual--
``(A) who--
``(i) is a physician, including an osteopathic physician,
who--

``(I) is entering or enrolled in an accredited fellowship
in geriatric medicine or geriatric psychiatry; or
``(II) has completed (but not prior to the calendar year in
which this section is enacted) an accredited fellowship in
geriatric medicine or geriatric psychiatry; or

``(ii) is a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse
specialist, pharmacist, social worker, physician assistant,
physical therapist, or psychologist who has completed
specialty training in geriatrics or gerontology;
``(B) who has obtained an educational loan for costs
associated with graduate training in medicine, pharmacy,
psychology, physical therapy, or social work, or costs
associated with training to become a nurse practitioner,
clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant;
``(C) who is appropriately licensed or certified in the
State in which the individual practices, or who meets other
qualifications as determined by the Secretary;
``(D) who agrees to provide clinical services to older
adults for a period of not less than 2 years in a setting
determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
``(E) who has demonstrated the capability through education
or training to work with frail older adults and older adults
with disabilities, including individuals with dementia,
urinary incontinence, and problems with balance or mobility,
and medication regimes for older adults.
``(2) Additional eligibility requirements.--The Secretary
may not enter into a contract under this subsection with an
individual unless--
``(A) the individual is a United States citizen or a
permanent legal United States resident;
``(B) if the individual is enrolled in a graduate program,
the program is accredited, and the individual has an
acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the
Secretary); and
``(C) the individual is not participating in any other
Federal undergraduate or graduate medical education loan
repayment program.
``(d) Priority.--In entering into contracts under this
section, the Secretary shall give priority to qualified
health professionals who demonstrate financial need.
``(e) Applicability of Certain Provisions.--With respect to
the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program
established in subpart III of part D of title III, the
provisions of such subpart shall, except as inconsistent with
this section, apply to the program established in this
section in the same manner and to the same extent as such
provisions apply to the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment Program.
``(f) Definition.--In this section:
``(1) Geriatrics.--The term `geriatrics' means the branch
of medicine that deals with the problems and diseases of
older adults and aging, including chronic conditions and
geriatric syndromes such as dementia, delirium, urinary
incontinence, osteoporosis, falls or gait disorders, or sleep
disorders.
``(2) Gerontology.--The term `gerontology' means the
interdisciplinary study of the aging process and individuals
as they grow from middle age through later life. Such term
encompasses the social, cognitive, psychological, biological,
and economic aspects of aging.
``(3) Graduate medical education.--The term `graduate
medical education' means a graduate program in medicine,
pharmacy, psychology, physical therapy, or social work, or a
graduate program that trains individuals to become nurse
practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, or physician
assistants.
``(4) Specialty training.--The term `specialty training'
means a concentration in coursework in geriatrics or
gerontology or clinical training, including internships,
residency programs, or fellowships, in a geriatric setting,
or other requirements, as determined by the Secretary.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $4,000,000 for
fiscal year 2010, $9,500,000 for fiscal year 2011,
$16,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, $24,000,000 for fiscal year
2013, and $30,500,000 for fiscal year 2014.''.
(b) Expansion of Nursing Education Loan Repayment
Program.--Section 846 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 297n) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (h), the following:
``(i) Geriatric Care Practice in Long-Term Care Settings.--
``(1) Loan repayments.--In providing for loan repayments
under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that eligible
individuals include registered nurses who complete specialty
training in geriatrics or gerontology and who elect to
provide nursing services to older adults in home and
community-based or facility-based long-term care settings, or
any other program determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `specialty
training' means coursework in geriatrics or gerontology or
clinical training, including internships or fellowships, in a
geriatric setting.

[[Page S12556]]

``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection, $1,500,000
for fiscal year 2010, $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2011,
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, $7,000,000 for fiscal year
2013, and $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2014.''.
______