Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/802

 112 STAT. 3560 PUBLIC LAW 105-392—NOV. 13, 1998 SEC. 107. PREFERENCE IN CERTAIN PROGRAMS. (a) IN GENERAL. —Section 791 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295j), as amended by section 105(a)(2)(B), is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following subsection: "(c) EXCEPTIONS FOR NEW PROGRAMS.— "(1) IN GENERAL. —To permit new programs to compete equitably for funding under this section, those new programs that meet at least 4 of the criteria described in paragraph (3) shall qualify for a funding preference under this section. "(2) DEFINITION.— As used in this subsection, the term 'new program' means any program that has graduated less than three classes. Upon graduating at least three classes, a program shall have the capability to provide the information necessary to qualify the program for the general funding preferences described in subsection (a). "(3) CRITERIA. — The criteria referred to in paragraph (1) are the following: "(A) The mission statement of the program identifies a specific purpose of the program as being the preparation of health professionals to serve underserved populations. "(B) The curriculum of the program includes content which will help to prepare practitioners to serve underserved populations. "(C) Substantial clinical training experience is required under the program in medically underserved communities. "(D) A minimum of 20 percent of the clinical faculty of the program spend at least 50 percent of their time providing or supervising care in medically underserved communities. "(E) The entire program or a substantial portion of the program is physically located in a medically underserved community. "(F) Student assistance, which is linked to service in medically underserved communities following graduation, is available to the students in the program. "(G) The program provides a placement mechanism for deploying graduates to medically underserved communities.". (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. —Section 791(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295j(a)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking "sections 747" and all that follows through "767" and inserting "sections 747 and 750"; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking "under section 798(a)". SEC. 108. DEFINITIONS. (a) GRADUATE PROGRAM IN BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE.—Section 799B(1)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(l)(D)) (as so redesignated by section 106(a)(2)(E)) is amended— (1) by inserting "behavioral health and" before "mental"; and (2) by inserting "behavioral health and mental health practice," before "clinical". (b) PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING AS A BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE.—Section 799B of the Public Health Service Act

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