H.R. 5201House109th Congress (2005-2007)In Committee

Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4360-4361)

June 21, 2006

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 26, 2006

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

April 26, 2006

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4360-4361)

June 21, 2006

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 5201 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Michael E. CapuanoD-MA-8 · Jun 27, 2006

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5573, the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006. This legislation is an important first step towards a straight reauthorization of the community health…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5573, the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006. This legislation is an important first step towards a straight reauthorization of the community health centers program. As we all know, community health centers are the backbone of our Nation's health care safety net, providing quality, affordable primary I health care to over 15 million people across the country. There is overwhelming, bipartisan support for the community health centers program because the evidence of its I success is undeniable. Health centers are efficient, locally controlled, and provide a high standard of care: simply put, they work.

In my District, the eighth district of Massachusetts, community health centers are not only essential to providing access to excellent health care in many of the neighborhoods I represent, but they are also pillars of the communities they serve. The community board, a majority of which is comprised of patients that the health center serves, is an essential part of keeping individual health centers inextricably linked to the community and its needs. It is significant that the bill before the House recognizes the unique, consumer-driven nature of the health centers model that has worked so well for many years. This fundamental structure of the health centers program must be maintained to ensure that the widely acknowledged success of the program continues.

The bill before the House authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2007 at the same level as proposed by the President in his budget. This is a promising first step that echoes the amount authorized for fiscal year 2007 in H.R. 5201, legislation offered by my fellow cochair of the Community Health Centers Caucus, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis. However, that legislation, which I have cosponsored along with 233 Members of the House, would authorize such sums as necessary for fiscal years 2008-2011. The legislation we are considering today authorizes a specific dollar amount for each of those years, and I am concerned that the amounts in the bill may not take into account the costs of both the President's plan to expand health centers to every poor county in the Nation and the growing demands placed on existing health centers due to the increasing numbers of uninsured or underinsured, coupled with rising costs of providing medical care.

As the reauthorization moves forward, I hope that we can all remember those health centers in our districts who serve everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of ability to pay. They do extraordinary work, and we have an obligation to ensure that they have sufficient resources to continue to fulfill their essential role in our Nation's health care safety net.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued April 26, 2006

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5201

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 26, 2006

Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Allen, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Bass, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Bonilla, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Burgess, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Case, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Costello, Mr. Davis of Florida, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. DeGette, Mrs. Drake, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Engel, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Fossella, Mr. Gordon, Ms. Granger, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Honda, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Leach, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Matheson, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Otter, Mr. Owens, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Ross, Mr. Reichert, Mr. Rush, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schwarz of Michigan, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shays, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Terry, Mr. Towns, Mr. Upton, Mr. Walden of Oregon, Mr. Waxman, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Wynn) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide additional authorizations of appropriations for the health centers program under section 330 of such Act.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006.

Findings

The Congress finds as follows:

(1)

Community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers are vital to thousands of communities across the United States.

(2)

There are more than 1,000 such health centers serving over 15,000,000 people at over 3,700 health delivery sites, located in all 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and other territories of the United States.

(3)

Health centers provide cost-effective, quality health care to poor and medically underserved people in the States, the District of Columbia, and the territories, including the working poor, the uninsured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations, and have done so for over 40 years.

(4)

Health centers provide care to 1 of every 8 uninsured Americans, 1 of every 4 Americans in poverty, and 1 of every 9 rural Americans.

(5)

Health centers provide primary and preventive care services to more than 700,000 homeless persons and more than 725,000 farm workers in the United States.

(6)

Health centers are community-oriented and patient-focused and tailor their services to fit the special needs and priorities of local communities, working together with schools, businesses, churches, community organizations, foundations, and State and local governments.

(7)

Health centers are built through community initiative.

(8)

Health centers encourage citizen participation and provide jobs for 50,000 community residents.

(9)

Congress established the program as a unique public-private partnership, and has continued to provide direct funding to community organizations for the development and operation of health centers systems that address pressing local health needs and meet national performance standards.

(10)

Federal grants assist participating communities in finding partners and recruiting doctors and other health professionals.

(11)

Federal grants constitute, on average, 24 percent of the annual budget of such health centers, with the remainder provided by State and local governments, Medicare, Medicaid, private contributions, private insurance, and patient fees.

(12)

Health centers make health care responsive and cost-effective through aggressive outreach, patient education, translation, and other enabling support services.

(13)

Health centers help reduce health disparities, meet escalating health care needs, and provide a vital safety net in the health care delivery system of the United States.

(14)

Health centers increase the use of preventive health services, including immunizations, pap smears, mammograms, and HBa1c tests for diabetes screenings.

(15)

Expert studies have demonstrated the impact that these community-owned and patient-controlled primary care delivery systems have achieved both in the reduction of traditional access barriers and the elimination of health disparities among their patients.

Additional authorizations of appropriations for health centers program of Public Health Service Act

Section 330(r) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(r)) is amended by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

(1)

In general

For the purpose of carrying out this section, in addition to the amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection (d), there are authorized to be appropriated $1,963,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2011.