,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #daei ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #ah1 #bjbd,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself and ,mr4 ,murphy7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act to encourage qualified individuals to enter the forensic pathology workforce1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,strengthening the ,medical ,examiner and ,coroner ,system ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,forensic medical needs ,part ,e of title ,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bidn et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #d ,forensic pathology workforce #ggi4 ,grants to address the forensic medicine service provider shortage 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,forensic medicine service provider ,the term forensic medicine service provider has the meaning given the term in section #f of ,billy's ,law 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4 #djejf note2 ,public ,law #aag-cbg74 7#b7 ,medicolegal death investigator ,the term medicolegal death investigator means an individual who performs formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a human being to assist in the determination of the cause and manner of death4 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary1 acting through the ,collaborating ,office of ,medical ,examiners and ,coroners of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4 7b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of this section are-- 7#a7 to encourage and incentivize qualified medical school graduates to enter the practice of forensic pathology by supporting forensic pathology fellowships2 7#b7 to encourage and incentivize qualified individuals to enter the field of medicolegal death investigation to conduct death investigations in support of forensic medicine service providers2 and 7#c7 to support qualified individuals who enter the field of forensic toxicology through employment in forensic toxicology laboratories in the acquisition of skills in pharmacology1 advanced and emerging toxicological methods1 and instrumentation needed to assist with the interpretation of toxicological findings4 7c7 ,grants ,the ,secretary shall award grants to eligible entities described in subsection 7d7 to assist such entities in addressing their shortages by offering the training and fellowships described in subsection 7e77#a74 7d7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an entity shall be-- 7#a7 a graduate medical education program-- 7,a7 accredited by the ,accreditation ,council for ,graduate ,medical ,education that offers a forensic pathology fellowship that is so accredited2 or 7,b7 that is seeking such accreditation for a forensic pathology fellowship2 7#b7 a publicly funded medical examiner or coroner office that is accredited or seeking accreditation2 or 7#c7 a publicly funded forensic toxicology laboratory that supports medical examiner and coroner offices and that is accredited or seeking accreditation4 7e7 ,use of grant funds 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds-- 7,a7 to provide payment to individuals selected by such entity for a forensic pathology fellowship for salary1 fringe benefits1 related supply expenses1 and other educational expenses of such individuals2 7,b7 provide training for medicolegal death investigators1 including paying for the costs of continuing education for medicolegal death investigators for purposes of such individuals-- 7i7 becoming certified by the ,american ,board of ,medicolegal ,death ,investigation 7or another accredited certifying organization72 and 7ii7 maintaining such certification2 or 7,c7 to assist eligible entities-- 7i7 in providing the education and training to individuals employed by such entities necessary-- 7,i7 to gain initial competency1 additional training1 and continuing education in pharmacology and advanced and emerging toxicological methods and instrumentation needed to assist with the interpretation of toxicological findings2 7,,ii7 to become certified by the ,american ,board of ,forensic ,toxicology1 the ,american ,association of ,clinical ,chemistry1 or another accredited certifying organization2 or 7,,iii7 to maintain such certification or to obtain recertification by such a certifying organization2 or 7ii7 in obtaining accreditation by the ,accreditation ,council for ,graduate ,medical ,education for forensic pathology fellowships4 7#b7 ,administrative costs ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may use not more than #ae percent of the total amount of the grant for administrative expenses1 including grant management services4 7f7 ,recipient requirements ,to be eligible to receive a fellowship funded by a grant under this section1 an individual shall-- 7#a7 7,a7 be enrolled in1 or shall have completed1 an anatomical pathology or anatomical and clinical pathology residency program accredited by the ,accreditation ,council for ,graduate ,medical ,education2 and 7,b7 not be1 and shall never have been1 in default on any public or private student loan2 7#b7 7,a7 be an individual who has completed a program of baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate education and earned a degree1 or completed a concentration1 in forensic science1 natural science1 anthropology1 nursing1 or other medical and forensic-related fields2 and 7,b7 be a coroner or medicolegal death investigator working full-time at1 or in a contractual relationship with1 a publicly funded medical examiner or coroner office who-- 7i7 has not achieved1 and is seeking1 certification by an accredited certification organization described in subsection 7e77#a77;,b77i72 or 7ii7 who is seeking continuing education for purposes of maintaining such certification2 7#c7 7,a7 have completed a program of baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate education and earned a degree1 or completed a concentration1 in forensic science or physical or natural sciences1 with a chemistry1 toxicology1 or other closely related scientific or forensic component2 and 7,b7 be employed by the eligible entity as a toxicologist or pharmacologist4 7g7 ,tax waiver ,the payment amounts to an individual under this section or any other benefit received by the individual from the grant recipient shall not be taxable to the individual4 7h7 ,geographic distribution ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall take into consideration-- 7#a7 the geographic distribution of grant funding among the ,states2 7#b7 the relative proportion of grant funding between rural and urban areas2 and 7#c7 the unique needs of rural communities1 including-- 7,a7 communities with an incidence of individuals with opioid use disorder that is above the national average2 and 7,b7 communities with a shortage of forensic medicine service providers4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this section #ac1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjbi4 7#b7 ,allocations ,of the amounts made available each fiscal year under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall allocate-- 7,a7 subject to paragraph 7#c71 not less than #g1jjj1jjj for grants to eligible entities carrying out the purpose described in subsection 7e77#a77;,a72 7,b7 not less than #c1jjj1jjj for grants to eligible entities carrying out the purpose described in subsection 7e77#a77;,b72 and 7,c7 not less than #c1jjj1jjj for grants to eligible entities carrying out the purpose described in subsection 7e77#a77;,c74 7#c7 ,fellowship minimum ,in allocating amounts for grants to eligible entities carrying out the purpose described in subsection 7e77#a77;,a71 the ,secretary shall award sufficient grant funding to such entities to ensure that not fewer than #dj forensic pathology fellowships are funded4 4