,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of    
,,representatives  ,january #c1 #bjac   
,ms4 ,velzquez introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,service ,act to improve the provision  
of medical services to the homeless4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,mobile ,medical ,homeless      
,health ,improvement ,act of #bjac4  #b4
 ,findings ,congress finds the          
following3  7#a7 ,the number of people  
experiencing homelessness on a single   
night increased by #a4a percent from    
#fdc1jfg in ,january #bjji to #fdi1iag  
in ,january #bjaj4 ,california1 ,new    
,york1 and ,florida accounted for #dj   
percent of the total homeless           
population4  7#b7 ,a total of #gi1ddf   
family households1 including #bda1iea   
persons in families1 were homeless as of
 ,january #bjaj4 ,since #bjji1 the      
number of homeless families increased   

#a4b percent1 and the number of homeless
 persons in families increased #a4f     
percent4  7#c7 ,the number of people who
 were chronically homeless1 persons with
 severe disabilities and long-term      
homeless histories1 decreased #a percent
 between #bjji and #bjaj1 from #aaj1iag 
to #aji1hab4  7#d7 ,out of those        
homeless individuals in a shelter1 #cd4g
 percent suffered from substance abuse  
and #bf4b percent had a serious mental  
illness4  7#e7 ,mobile medical health   
care services can effectively reach     
homeless populations and provide primary
 care1 screenings1 dental care1         
medications1 behavioral health care1    
immunizations1 lab tests1 case          
management1 benefits assistance and     
assessments1 and triage4  7#f7 ,mobile  
medical health care services can provide
 health care to homeless adults and     
children in urban1 rural1 and suburban  
areas4  7#g7 ,the average cost of a     
visit to a provider of mobile medical   
health care services is significantly   

below the average cost of an emergency  
department visit4 ,visiting a mobile    
medical health care service instead of  
the emergency department can result in a
 cost savings of more than #hjj per     
visit4  #c4 ,improving access of        
homeless individuals to medical services
 ,subpart ,i of ,part ,d of title ,,iii 
of the ,public ,health ,service ,act    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b et seq47 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new section3  #ccj,m4         
,partnerships to improve access of      
homeless individuals to medical services
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may   
award grants1 contracts1 or cooperative 
agreements to eligible entities         
described in subsection 7b7 to enable   
such entities to improve access of      
homeless individuals to mobile medical  
health care services4  7b7 ,eligible    
entities ,to be eligible for a grant1   
contract1 or agreement under this       
section an entity shall--  7#a7 be a    
partnership consisting of--  7,a7 one or

 more hospitals2 and  7,b7 one or more  
other local health care facilities1     
including clinics1 health centers1      
primary care facilities1 mental health  
centers1 pharmacies1 or other mobile    
medical assets 7as such term is defined 
for purposes of section #cai;,c-#b71    
whether or not such a local health care 
facility is owned 7either in whole or in
 part7 by a partnering hospital         
described in subparagraph 7,a72 and     
7#b7 submit to the ,secretary1 an       
application at such time1 in such       
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may require4  7c7 ,use
 of funds ,a grant1 contract1 or        
agreement awarded under this section may
 be expended only for activities to     
increase access of homeless individuals 
to mobile medical services1 including   
primary health services 7as defined in  
section #ccj7;b77#a771 substance abuse  
services 7as defined in section         
#ccj7;h77#e771 and mental health        
counseling4  7d7 ,limitation on awards  

,a hospital or health care facility     
shall not be eligible for a grant1      
contract1 or agreement under this       
section with respect to more than one   
partnership described in subsection     
7b77#a74  7e7 ,preference ,in awarding a
 grant1 contract1 or agreement under    
this section1 the ,secretary shall give 
priority to any application from a      
geographic area that has a comparatively
 high ratio of homeless individuals to  
non-homeless individuals4  7f7          
,supplement not supplant requirement ,a 
grant1 contract1 or agreement awarded   
under this section shall be expended to 
supplement1 and not supplant1 the       
expenditures of the eligible entity     
involved and the value of in kind       
contributions for the delivery of       
services to homeless individuals4  7g7  
,temporary continued provision of       
services to certain former homeless     
individuals ,if any grantee under this  
section has provided services described 
in this section to a homeless individual

 under the grant1 contract1 or agreement
 awarded under this section1 such       
grantee may1 notwithstanding that the   
individual is no longer homeless as a   
result of becoming a resident in        
permanent housing1 expend the amount so 
awarded to continue to provide such     
services to the individual for not more 
than #ab months4  7h7 ,definitions ,for 
purposes of this section3  7#a7         
,homeless individual ,the term homeless 
individual has the meaning given such   
term in section #ccj7;h77#e74  7#b7     
,mobile medical health care services    
,the term mobile medical health care    
service means any health care related   
service provided in a moveable vehicle  
or a non-permanent clinic4  4