HR 4477

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 6, 1998

Mrs. Lowey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

A BILL

To provide grants to strengthen State and local health care systems’ response to domestic violence by building the capacity of health care professionals and staff to identify, address, and prevent domestic violence.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GRANTS TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS.

(a) In General.—The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“SEC. 319. GRANTS TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS.

“(a) General Purpose Grants.—The Secretary, acting through the Office of Family Violence and Prevention Services of the Administration for Children and Families, may award grants to eligible State and local entities to strengthen the State and local health care system’s response to domestic violence by building the capacity of health care professionals and staff to identify, address, and prevent domestic violence.

“(b) State Grants.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary may award grants under subsection (a) to entities eligible under paragraph (2) for the conduct of not to exceed 10 Statewide programs for the design and implementation of Statewide strategies to enable health care workers to improve the health care system’s response to treatment and prevention of domestic violence as provided for in subsection (d).

“(2) Eligible entities.—To be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1) an entity shall—

“(A) be a State health department, nonprofit State domestic violence coalition, State professional medical society, State health professional association, or other nonprofit or State entity with a documented history of effective work in the field of domestic violence;

“(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that such entity is representing a team of organizations and agencies working collaboratively to strengthen the health care system’s response to domestic violence; and

“(C) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(3) Limitation.—The Secretary may not award a grant to a State health department under paragraph (1) unless the State health department can certify that State laws, policies, and practices do not require the mandatory reporting of domestic violence by health care professionals and staff when the victim is an adult.

“(4) Term and amount.—A grant under this section shall be for a term of 4 years and for an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 for each such year.

“(c) Local Demonstration Grants.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary may award grants under subsection (a) to entities eligible under paragraph (2) for the conduct of not to exceed 10 demonstration projects for the design and implementation of a strategy to improve the response of local health care professionals and staff to the treatment and prevention of domestic violence.

“(2) Eligible entities.—To be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1) an entity shall—

“(A) be a local health department, local nonprofit domestic violence organization or service provider, local professional medical society or health professional association, or other nonprofit or local government entity that has a documented history of effective work in the field of domestic violence;

“(B) demonstrate to the Secretary that such entity is representing a team of organizations working collaboratively to strengthen the health care system’s response to domestic violence; and

“(C) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(3) Term and amount.—A grant under this section shall be for a term of 3 years and for an amount not to exceed $450,000 for each such year.

“(d) Use of Funds.—Amounts provided under a grant under this section shall be used to design and implement comprehensive Statewide and local strategies to improve the health care setting’s response to domestic violence in hospitals, clinics, managed care settings, emergency medical services, and other health care systems. Such a strategy shall include—

“(1) the development, implementation, and dissemination of policies and procedures to guide health care professionals and staff responding to domestic violence;

“(2) the training of, and providing follow-up technical assistance to, health care professionals and staff to screen for domestic violence, and then to appropriately assess, record in medical records, treat, and refer patients who are victims of domestic violence to domestic violence services;

“(3) the implementation of practice guidelines for widespread screening and recording mechanisms to identify and document domestic violence, and the institutionalization of such guidelines and mechanisms in quality improvement measurements such as patient record reviews, staff interviews, patient surveys, or other methods used to evaluate and enhance staff compliance with protocols;

“(4) the development of an on-site program to address the safety, medical, mental health, and economic needs of patients who are victims of domestic violence achieved either by increasing the capacity of existing health care professionals and staff to address these issues or by contracting with or hiring domestic violence advocates to provide the services;

“(5) the development of innovative and effective comprehensive approaches to domestic violence identification, treatment, and prevention models unique to managed care settings, such as—

“(A) exploring ways to include compensated health care professionals and staff for screening and other services related to domestic violence;

“(B) developing built-in incentives such as billing mechanisms and protocols to encourage health care professionals and staff to implement screening and other domestic violence programs; and

“(C) contracting with community agencies as vendors to provide domestic violence victims access to advocates and services in health care settings; and

“(6) the collection of data, implementation of patient and staff surveys, or other methods of measuring the effectiveness of their programs and for other activities identified as necessary for evaluation by the evaluating agency.

“(e) Evaluation.—The Secretary may use not to exceed 5 percent of the amount appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection (e) to evaluate the economic and health benefits of the programs and activities conducted by grantees under this section and the extent to which the institutionalization of protocols, practice guidelines, and recording mechanisms has been achieved.

“(f) Authorization of Appropriations.—

“(1) In general.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

“(A) $24,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2002; and

“(B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.

“(2) Availability.—Amounts appropriated under paragraph

(1) shall remain available until expended.”.

(b) Technical Amendment.—Section 305(a) of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10405(a)) is amended—

(A) by striking “an employee” and inserting “one or more employees”; and

(B) by striking “individual” and inserting “individuals”. <all>