
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC912]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                       CHAPTER 7--SOCIAL SECURITY
 
                     SUBCHAPTER VII--ADMINISTRATION
 
Sec. 912. Office of Rural Health Policy

    (a) There shall be established in the Department of Health and Human 
Services (in this section referred to as the ``Department'') an Office 
of Rural Health Policy (in this section referred to as the ``Office''). 
The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall advise the Secretary 
on the effects of current policies and proposed statutory, regulatory, 
administrative, and budgetary changes in the programs established under 
subchapters XVIII and XIX of this chapter on the financial viability of 
small rural hospitals, the ability of rural areas (and rural hospitals 
in particular) to attract and retain physicians and other health 
professionals, and access to (and the quality of) health care in rural 
areas.
    (b) In addition to advising the Secretary with respect to the 
matters specified in subsection (a) of this section, the Director, 
through the Office, shall--
        (1) oversee compliance with the requirements of section 1302(b) 
    of this title and section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation 
    Act of 1987 (as such section pertains to rural health issues),
        (2) establish and maintain a clearinghouse for collecting and 
    disseminating information on--
            (A) rural health care issues, including rural mental health, 
        rural infant mortality prevention, and rural occupational safety 
        and preventive health promotion,
            (B) research findings relating to rural health care, and
            (C) innovative approaches to the delivery of health care in 
        rural areas, including programs providing community-based mental 
        health services, pre-natal and infant care services, and rural 
        occupational safety and preventive health education and 
        promotion,

        (3) coordinate the activities within the Department that relate 
    to rural health care, and
        (4) provide information to the Secretary and others in the 
    Department with respect to the activities, of other Federal 
    departments and agencies, that relate to rural health care, 
    including activities relating to rural mental health, rural infant 
    mortality, and rural occupational safety and preventive health 
    promotion.

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title VII, Sec. 711, as added Pub. L. 100-203, 
title IV, Sec. 4401, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330-225; amended Pub. L. 
100-360, title IV, Sec. 411(m)(1), July 1, 1988, 102 Stat. 806; Pub. L. 
101-239, title VI, Sec. 6213(g), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2251.)

                       References in Text

    Section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, 
referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is section 4403 of Pub. L. 100-203, which 
is set out as a note under section 1395b-1 of this title.


                               Amendments

    1989--Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 101-239, Sec. 6213(g)(1), 
substituted ``health care issues, including rural mental health, rural 
infant mortality prevention, and rural occupational safety and 
preventive health promotion'' for ``health care issues''.
    Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 101-239, Sec. 6213(g)(2), substituted 
``health care in rural areas, including programs providing community-
based mental health services, pre-natal and infant care services, and 
rural occupational safety and preventive health education and 
promotion'' for ``health care in rural areas''.
    Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 101-239, Sec. 6213(g)(3), substituted 
``rural health care, including activities relating to rural mental 
health, rural infant mortality, and rural occupational safety and 
preventive health promotion'' for ``rural health care''.
    1988--Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 100-360 substituted ``section 4403 of 
the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (as such section pertains 
to rural health issues)'' for ``section 4083 of the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1987''.


                    Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

    Except as specifically provided in section 411 of Pub. L. 100-360, 
amendment by Pub. L. 100-360, as it relates to a provision in the 
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Pub. L. 100-203, effective as 
if included in the enactment of that provision in Pub. L. 100-203, see 
section 411(a) of Pub. L. 100-360, set out as a Reference to OBRA; 
Effective Date note under section 106 of Title 1, General Provisions.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 254r of this title.
