,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #afhf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ab1 #bjai,ms4
 ,bass introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,energy and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to provide loan repayment incentives for
 physician assistants1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,physician          
,assistant ,education ,public ,health   
,initiatives ,act of #bjai4  #b4        
,expanding clinical training            
opportunities for physician assistants  
,the ,public ,health ,service ,act is   
amended by inserting after section      
#gdi;,a of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4     
#bicl-#a7 the following3  #gdi;,a-#a4   
,expanding clinical training            
opportunities  7a7 ,in general ,the     
,secretary1 acting through the          
,administrator of the ,health ,resources
 and ,services ,administration1 shall   
award grants to physician assistant     

education programs to establish or      
expand clinical education and training  
for physician assistants at underserved 
sites including ,federally qualified    
health centers1 critical access         
hospitals1 and rural health clinics4    
7b7 ,allocation for rural sites ,of the 
amount made available to carry out this 
section for a fiscal year1 the          
,secretary shall allocate #ej percent of
 such amount for clinical education and 
training at underserved sites that are  
located in rural areas4  7c7 ,priority  
,in awarding grants under this section1 
the ,secretary shall give priority to   
physician assistant education programs  
proposing to establish or expand        
clinical rotations for physician        
assistants in pediatrics1 women's       
health1 or behavioral health4  7d7      
,reporting to ,congress ,the ,secretary 
shall-- 7#a7 not later than ,march #a1  
#bjbb1 submit an interim report to the  
,congress on the implementation of this 
section2 and  7#b7 not later than ,march

 #a1 #bjbe1 submit a final report to the
 ,congress on such implementation4  7e7 
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this section1 there is        
authorized to be appropriated #e1jjj1jjj
 for each of fiscal years #bjbj through 
#bjbd4  4  #c4 ,reauthorization of      
primary care training and enhancement   
programs ,section #gdg7;c7 of the       
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bick7c77 is amended-- 7#a7 in
 paragraph 7#a71 by inserting after     
#bjad the following3 and each of fiscal 
years #bjbj through #bjbd2 and  7#b7 in 
paragraph 7#b71 by striking ,fifteen and
 inserting ,at least #ae4  #d4 ,grants  
for research on physician assistant     
education  7a7 ,in general ,the         
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall provide grants to       
eligible entities to fund eligible      
researchers to increase research on     
physician assistant education4  7b7     
,application ,an eligible entity        
desiring a grant under this section     

shall submit to the ,secretary an       
application at such time1 in such       
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may require4  7c7     
,condition of receipt ,as a condition of
 receipt of a grant under this section1 
an entity shall each year award not     
fewer than eight eligible researchers   
funds to support physician assistant    
education research4  7d7 ,report        
requirement ,an entity receiving a grant
 under this section shall provide to the
 ,secretary with respect to each year   
that such entity receives funds under   
this section a report on the activities 
conducted using such funds1 including-- 
7#a7 the number of researchers supported
 during such year by such entity using  
such funds2  7#b7 a list of the         
researchers counted under paragraph     
7#a71 organized by researcher1          
including--  7,a7 the institution such  
researcher is affiliated with2 and  7,b7
 the research topic of such researcher2 
7#c7 citations to published clinical and

 scientific research by researchers     
described in paragraph 7#a7 that is     
attributable to support under this      
section2  7#d7 an evaluation of the     
benefits of grants under this section2  
and  7#e7 any other information the     
,secretary may request4  7e7            
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,eligible entity ,the term eligible     
entity means an organization that--     
7,a7 is a non-profit organization2 and  
7,b7 has demonstrated expertise in      
physician assistant education and       
faculty development4  7#b7 ,eligible    
researcher ,the term eligible researcher
 means1 with respect to an eligible     
entity1 a researcher that-- 7,a7 has    
demonstrated expertise in physician     
assistant education and faculty         
development2 and  7,b7 at such time and 
in such manner as such entity may       
require1 provides such entity with a    
research proposal on improving physician
 assistant education and faculty        
development4  7#c7 ,physician assistant 

education ,the term physician assistant 
education means selecting1 educating1   
and graduating students in accredited   
graduate physician assistant educational
 programs4  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term   
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,health and ,human ,services4  7f7      
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated such  
sums as may be necessary to carry out   
this section for each of fiscal years   
#bjbj through #bjbd4