1995 US Code
Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 6 - THE CHILDREN'S BUREAU
Sec. 300u-6 - Establishment of Office of Minority Health

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§300u–6. Establishment of Office of Minority Health (a) In general

There is established an Office of Minority Health within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. There shall be in the Department of Health and Human Services a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, who shall be the head of the Office of Minority Health. The Secretary, acting through such Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall carry out this section.

(b) Duties

The Secretary shall, with respect to the health concerns of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities—

(1) establish short-range and long-range goals and objectives and coordinate all other activities within the Department of Health and Human Services that relate to disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, and research concerning such individuals;

(2) enter into interagency agreements with other agencies of the Service to increase the participation of such individuals in health service and promotion programs;

(3) establish a national minority health resource center to facilitate the exchange of information regarding matters relating to health information and health promotion, preventive health services, and education in the appropriate use of health care, to facilitate access to such information, to assist in the analysis of issues and problems relating to such matters, and to provide technical assistance with respect to the exchange of such information (including facilitating the development of materials for such technical assistance);

(4) support research, demonstrations and evaluations to test new and innovative models, to increase knowledge and understanding of health risk factors, and to develop mechanisms that support better information dissemination, education, prevention, and service delivery to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities;

(5) coordinate efforts to promote minority health programs and policies in the voluntary and corporate sectors;

(6) develop health information and health promotion materials and teaching programs, including—

(A) models for the training of health professionals;

(B) model curriculums to be used in primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher learning;

(C) materials and programs for the continuing education of health professionals;

(D) materials for public service use by the print and broadcast media; and

(E) materials and programs to assist health care professionals in providing health education to their patients;

(7) assist providers of primary health care and preventive health services in obtaining, with respect to the provision of such care and services, the assistance of bilingual health professionals and other bilingual individuals (including such assistance in the provision of services regarding maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, and substance abuse); and

(8) support expansion and enhancement of tertiary perinatal facilities in rural States with infant mortality rates among individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including minorities, that are significantly above the national average for such rates.

(c) Certain requirements regarding duties (1) Equitable allocation of services

In carrying out subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall ensure that services provided under such subsection are equitably allocated among all groups served under this section by the Secretary.

(2) Appropriate context of services

In carrying out subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall ensure that information and services provided under such subsection are provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for the individuals for whom the information and services are intended.

(3) Bilingual assistance regarding health care

In carrying out subsection (b)(7) of this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to the unique linguistic needs of health care providers serving Asians, and American Samoans and other Pacific Islanders, including such needs regarding particular subpopulations of such groups.

(d) Grants and contracts regarding duties (1) Authority

In carrying out subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary may make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with, public and nonprofit private entities.

(2) Evaluation and dissemination

(A) The Secretary shall, directly or through contracts with public and private entities, provide for evaluations of projects carried out with financial assistance provided under paragraph (1) and for the dissemination of information developed as result of such projects.

(B) Not later than January 20 of fiscal year 1993 and of each second year thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare a report summarizing evaluations carried out under subparagraph (A) during the preceding 2 fiscal years. The report shall be included in the report required in subsection (e) of this section for the fiscal year involved.

(e) Reports

Not later than January 31 of fiscal year 1993 and of each second year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this section during the preceding 2 fiscal years.

(f) Funding (1) Authorization of appropriations

For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated ,000,000 for each of the fiscal year 1 1991 through 1993.

(2) Allocation of funds by Secretary

Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) in excess of ,000,000, the Secretary shall make available not less than ,000,000 to carry out subsection (b)(7) of this section.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XVII, §1707, as added Nov. 6, 1990, Pub. L. 101–527, §2, 104 Stat. 2312; amended Nov. 15, 1990, Pub. L. 101–557, title IV, §401(a)(1), 104 Stat. 2770.)

Prior Provisions

A prior section 300u–6, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XVII, §1707, as added Nov. 10, 1978, Pub. L. 95–626, title V, §502, 92 Stat. 3593; amended July 10, 1979, Pub. L. 96–32, §6(k), 93 Stat. 84, related to project grants to State Councils on Physical Fitness for physical fitness improvement, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 98–551, §2(c), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2816.

Amendments

1990—Subsec. (b)(8). Pub. L. 101–557 added par. (8).

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Section 401(a)(2) of Pub. L. 101–557 provided that: “The amendments made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 [Nov. 6, 1990].”

Congressional Findings

Section 1(b) of Pub. L. 101–527 provided that: “The Congress finds that—

“(1) racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented among individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds;

“(2) the health status of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, in the United States is significantly lower than the health status of the general population of the United States;

“(3) minorities suffer disproportionately high rates of cancer, stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, substance abuse, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other diseases and disorders;

“(4) the incidence of infant mortality among minorities is almost double that for the general population;

“(5) Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans constitute approximately 12 percent, 7.9 percent, and 0.01 percent, respectively, of the population of the United States;

“(6) Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans in the United States constitute approximately 3 percent, 4 percent, and less than 0.01 percent, respectively, of physicians, 2.7 percent, 1.7 percent, and less than 0.01 percent, respectively, of dentists, and 4.5 percent, 1.6 percent, and less than 0.01 percent, respectively, of nurses;

“(7) the number of individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds in health professions should be increased for the purpose of improving the access of other such individuals to health services;

“(8) minority health professionals have historically tended to practice in low-income areas and to serve minorities;

“(9) minority health professionals have historically tended to engage in the general practice of medicine and specialties providing primary care;

“(10) reports published in leading medical journals indicate that access to health care among minorities can be substantially improved by increasing the number of minority health professionals;

“(11) increasing the number of minorities serving on the faculties of health professions schools can be an important factor in attracting minorities to pursue a career in the health professions;

“(12) diversity in the faculty and student body of health professions schools enhances the quality of education for all students attending the schools;

“(13) the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health (prepared for the Secretary of Health and Human Services and issued in 1985) described the health status problems of minorities, and made recommendations concerning measures that should be implemented by the Secretary with respect to improving the health status of minorities through programs for providing health information and education; and

“(14) the Office of Minority Health, created in 1985 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, should be authorized pursuant to statute and should receive increased funding to support efforts to improve the health of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including minorities, including the implementation of the recommendations made by the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health.”

1 So in original. Probably should be “years”.