Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a temporary certificate to facilities seeking reaccreditation and awarded an accreditation extension for specified reasons, including inability of accrediting body to complete the process in time and unforeseen situations which cause the facility to be unable to meet the reaccreditation timeframes, but do not compromise the quality of mammography.
Requires the Comptroller General to evaluate the Mammography Quality Standards Act, including the demonstration program's frequency of inspections, accessibility of services, and the role of States as both accreditation and certification bodies.
Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study health professional training in the area of mammography.
[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2591 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2591
To reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 5, 2002
Ms. Mikulski (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Dodd,
Mrs. Hutchison, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein,
Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Clinton, and Mrs. Carnahan) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act, 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 ``Mammography Quality Standards
Reauthorization Act of 2002''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 354(r)(2) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263b(r)(2)) is amended by striking ``2002'' and
inserting ``2007'' each place it appears.
SEC. 3. TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE.
Section 354(c) of the Public Health Service (42 U.S.C. 263b) is
amended by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3) and inserting
after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Temporary issuance of a certificate.--The Secretary
may issue a temporary renewal certificate for a period not to
exceed 45 days to a facility seeking reaccreditation if the
facility's accreditation body has issued a 45-day accreditation
extension for one of the following reasons:
``(A) The facility has met the established time
frames for submitting materials to the accreditation
body, but the accreditation body is unable to complete
the reaccreditation process before the certificate
expires.
``(B) Circumstances such as the facility acquiring
additional or replacement equipment, low volume, or
significant personnel changes have caused the facility
to be unable to meet reaccreditation time frames.
``(C) Other unforeseen situations have caused the
facility to be unable to meet reaccreditation
timeframes, but in the opinion of the accreditation
body, have not compromised the quality of
mammography.''.
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct a study of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (hereafter in
this Act ``MQSA'') to--
(1) evaluate the demonstration program regarding frequency
of inspections authorized under section 354(g) of the Public
Health Service Act, including the effect of the program on
compliance with MQSA;
(2) evaluate the accessibility of mammography services;
(3) evaluate the role of States in acting as both
accreditation bodies and certification bodies under MQSA; and
(4) identify areas, if any, where the MQSA could be
improved to increase access to and quality of mammography
services for women.
(b) Report.--Not earlier than 3 years, but not later than 4 years
after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report on the study described in subsection (a).
SEC. 5. INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE STUDY.
(a) Study.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of
this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter
into a contract with the Institute of Medicine for the purpose of
conducting a study and making recommendations regarding the following:
(1) Ways to encourage more radiologists to be adequately
trained in mammography interpretation.
(2) Ways to ensure enough adequately trained personnel at
all levels to ensure the quality and availability of
mammography services to women.
(3) Whether interventional mammography procedures should be
subject to the requirements of the MQSA.
(4) Ways to improve continuing medical education
requirements, such as including an assessment of interpretive
skills, for physicians interpreting mammograms.
(5) Other areas, if any, where the MQSA could be improved
to increase the quality of mammography services for women.
(b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date on which the
contract is entered into under subsection (a), the Institute of
Medicine shall complete the study described under such subsection and
submit a report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5054)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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