[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 1237 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. R. 1237
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 9, 2008
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide revised standards for
quality assurance in screening and evaluation of gynecologic cytology
preparations, 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 ``Cytology Proficiency Improvement Act
of 2008''.
SEC. 2. REVISED STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SCREENING AND
EVALUATION OF GYNECOLOGIC CYTOLOGY PREPARATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(iv) requirements that each clinical
laboratory--
``(I) ensure that all individuals
involved in screening and interpreting
cytological preparations at the
laboratory participate annually in a
continuing medical education program in
gynecologic cytology that--
``(aa) is approved by the
Accrediting Council for
Continuing Medical Education or
the American Academy of
Continuing Medical Education;
and
``(bb) provides each
individual participating in the
program with gynecologic
cytological preparations (in
the form of referenced glass
slides or equivalent
technologies) designed to
improve the locator,
recognition, and interpretive
skills of the individual;
``(II) maintain a record of the
cytology continuing medical education
program results for each individual
involved in screening and interpreting
cytological preparations at the
laboratory;
``(III) provide that the laboratory
director shall take into account such
results and other performance metrics
in reviewing the performance of
individuals involved in screening and
interpreting cytological preparations
at the laboratory and, when necessary,
identify needs for remedial training or
a corrective action plan to improve
skills; and
``(IV) submit the continuing
education program results for each
individual and, if appropriate, plans
for corrective action or remedial
training in a timely manner to the
laboratory's accrediting organization
for purposes of review and on-going
monitoring by the accrediting
organization, including reviews of the
continuing medical education program
results during on-site inspections of
the laboratory.''.
(b) Effective Date and Implementation; Termination of Current
Program of Individual Proficiency Testing.--
(1) Effective date and implementation.--Except as provided
in paragraph (2), the amendment made by subsection (a) applies
to gynecologic cytology services provided on or after the first
day of the first calendar year beginning 1 year or more after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and the Secretary of
Health and Human Services (hereafter in this subsection
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall issue final regulations
implementing such amendment not later than 270 days after such
date of enactment.
(2) Termination of current individual testing program.--The
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall terminate the
individual proficiency testing program established pursuant to
section 353(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 263a(f)(4)(B)(iv)), as in effect on the day before the
date of the enactment of subsection (a), at the end of the
calendar year which includes the date of enactment of the
amendment made by subsection (a).
Passed the House of Representatives April 8, 2008.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.