To improve the efficiency of the Department of Energy's Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, and for other purposes.

Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 regarding the composition of physician panels to instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) select an individual to serve as panel member based on experience and competency in diagnosing occupational illnesses; and (2) either appoint such individual as a panel member, or obtain by contract the individual's services as a panel member.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4298 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4298

    To improve the efficiency of the Department of Energy's Energy 
  Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2004

  Mr. Wamp (for himself, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Davis of Tennessee, and Mr. 
   Jenkins) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
    Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To improve the efficiency of the Department of Energy's Energy 
  Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, 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. IMPROVEMENTS TO ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS 
              COMPENSATION PROGRAM.

    (a) State Agreements.--Section 3661 of the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 7385o) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b) by striking ``Pursuant to agreements 
        under subsection (a), the'' and inserting ``The'';
            (2) in subsection (c) by striking ``provided in an 
        agreement under subsection (a), and if''; and
            (3) in subsection (e) by striking ``If provided in an 
        agreement under subsection (a)'' and inserting ``If a panel 
        reports a determination under subsection (d)(5)''.
    (b) Selection of Panel Members.--Section 3661 of that Act (42 
U.S.C. 7385o) is further amended in subsection (d) by amending 
paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
        select individuals to serve as panel members based on 
        experience and competency in diagnosing occupational illnesses. 
        For each individual so selected, the Secretary shall appoint 
        that individual as a panel member or obtain by contract the 
        services of that individual as a panel member.''.
                                 <all>