Informed Choice Act - Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to nonprofit community based pregnancy help medical clinics for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. Requires each grantee to: (1) provide free ultrasound examinations to pregnant women; (2) show the visual image of the fetus from the ultrasound examination to each pregnant woman with a general anatomical and physiological description of the fetus; (3) give each pregnant woman the approximate age of the embryo or fetus; (4) provide information on abortion and alternatives to abortion, such as childbirth and adoption, and information concerning public and private agencies that will assist in those alternatives; and (5) obtain medical malpractice insurance. Limits each grant to the lesser of 50 percent of the purchase price of the ultrasound machine involved or $20,000.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 755 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 755
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants
to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound
equipment to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such
services, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 11, 2005
Mr. Bunning introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants
to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound
equipment to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such
services, 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 ``Informed Choice Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR PURCHASE OF ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services may
make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. Such ultrasound
equipment shall be used by the recipients of such grants to provide,
under the direction and supervision of a licensed medical physician,
free ultrasound examinations to pregnant women needing such services.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--An entity may receive a grant under
subsection (a) only if the entity meets the following conditions:
(1) The entity is a nonprofit private organization that is
approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt entity
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(2) The entity operates as a community based pregnancy help
medical clinic, as defined in subsection (f).
(3) The entity provides medical services to pregnant women
under the guidance and supervision of a physician who serves as
the medical director of the clinic and is duly licensed to
practice medicine in the State in which the entity is located.
(4) The entity is legally qualified to provide such medical
services to pregnant women and is in compliance with all
Federal, State, and local requirements for the provision of
such services.
(5) The entity agrees to comply with the following medical
procedures:
(A) Each pregnant woman upon whom the ultrasound
equipment is used will be shown the visual image of the
fetus from the ultrasound examination and will be given
a general anatomical and physiological description of
the characteristics of the fetus.
(B) Each pregnant women will be given, according to
the best medical judgment of the physician performing
the ultrasound examination or the physician's agent
performing such exam, the approximate age of the embryo
or fetus considering the number of weeks elapsed from
the probable time of the conception of the embryo or
fetus, based upon the information provided by the
client as to the time of her last menstrual period, her
medical history, a physical examination, or appropriate
laboratory tests.
(C) Each pregnant woman will be given information
on abortion and alternatives to abortion such as
childbirth and adoption and information concerning
public and private agencies that will assist in those
alternatives.
(D) The entity will obtain and maintain medical
malpractice insurance in an amount not less than
$1,000,000, and such insurance will cover all
activities relating to the use of the ultrasound
machine purchased with the grant under subsection (a).
(6) The entity does not receive more than 30 percent of its
gross annual revenue from a single source or donor.
(c) Limitation on Individual Grant Amount.--No grant under
subsection (a) may be made in an amount that exceeds an amount equal to
50 percent of the purchase price cost of the ultrasound machine
involved, or $20,000, whichever is less.
(d) Application for Grant.--A grant may be made under subsection
(a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary
and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and
contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary
determines to be necessary to carry out this section.
(e) Annual Report to Secretary.--A grant may be made under
subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant agrees to report on
an annual basis to the Secretary, in such form and manner as the
Secretary may require, on the ongoing compliance of the applicant with
the eligibility conditions established in subsection (b).
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``community based pregnancy help medical
clinic'' means a facility that--
(A) provides free medical services to pregnant
women under the supervision and direction of a licensed
physician who serves as the medical director for such
clinic; and
(B) does not charge for any services rendered to
its clients, whether or not such services are for
pregnancy or nonpregnancy related matters.
(2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health
and Human Services.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000
for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2007 through 2009.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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