[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4453 Received in Senate (RDS)]
2d Session
H. R. 4453
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 7, 2004
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To improve access to physicians in medically underserved areas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MODIFICATION OF VISA REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES.
(a) Extension of Deadline.--
(1) In general.--Section 220(c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1182
note) (as amended by section 11018 of Public Law 107-273) is
amended by striking ``2004.'' and inserting ``2006.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1)
shall take effect as if enacted on May 31, 2004.
(b) Exemption From H-1B Numerical Limitations.--Section
214(l)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1184(l)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The
numerical limitations contained in subsection (g)(1)(A) shall not apply
to any alien whose status is changed under the preceding sentence, if
the alien obtained a waiver of the 2-year foreign residence requirement
upon a request by an interested Federal agency or an interested State
agency.''.
(c) Limitation on Medical Practice Areas.--Section 214(l)(1)(D) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)) is amended
by striking ``agrees to practice medicine'' and inserting ``agrees to
practice primary care or specialty medicine''.
(d) Exemption From Geographic Limitations.--Section 214(l)(1)(D) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)), as
amended by subsection (c), is further amended--
(1) by striking ``except that,'' and all that follows
through the period at the end and inserting ``except that--'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) in the case of a request by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the alien shall not be required to
practice medicine in a geographic area designated by
the Secretary; and
``(ii) in the case of a request by an interested
State agency, the head of such State agency determines
that the alien is to practice medicine under such
agreement in a facility that serves patients who reside
in one or more geographic areas so designated by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (without regard
to whether such facility is within such a designated
geographic area), and the grant of such waiver would
not cause the number of the waivers granted on behalf
of aliens for such State for a fiscal year (within the
limitation described in subparagraph (B)) in accordance
with the conditions of this clause to exceed 5.''.
Passed the House of Representatives October 6, 2004.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.