Daniel Inouye

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation today to modify Title VII of the U.S. Public Health Service Act in order to provide students enrolled in graduate psychology programs with the opportunity to participate in various health professions loan programs. Providing students enrolled in graduate psychology programs with eligibility for financial assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, and scholarships will facilitate a much-needed infusions of behavioral science expertise into our community of public health, providers. There is a growing recognition of the valuable contribution being made by psychologists toward solving some of our nation's most distressing problems. The participation of students from all backgrounds and clinical disciplines is vital to the success of health care training. The Title VII programs play a significant role in providing financial support for the recruitment of minorities, women, and individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Minority therapists have an advantage in the provision of critical services to minority populations because often they can communicate with clients in their own language and cultural framework. Minority therapists are more likely to work in community settings where ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged individuals are most likely to seek care. It is critical that continued support be provided for the training of individuals who provide health care services to underserved communities. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act of 2001, a bill that responds to the dire need of our rural communities for quality health care and disease prevention programs. Almost one fourth of Americans live in rural areas and frequently lack access to adequate physical and mental health care. As many as 21 million of the 34 million people living in undeserved rural areas are without access to a primary care provider. Even in areas where providers do exist, there are numerous limits to access, such as geography, distance, lack of transportation, and lack of knowledge about available resources. Due to the diversity of rural populations, language and cultural obstacles are often a factor in the access to medical care. Compound these problems with limited financial resources, and the result is that many Americans living in rural communities go without vital health care, especially preventive care. Children fail to receive immunizations and routine checkups. Preventable illnesses and injuries occur needlessly, and lead to expensive hospitalizations. Early symptoms of emotional problems and substance abuse go undetected, and often develop into full-blown disorders. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report entitled, ``Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders; Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research,'' highlights the benefits of preventive care for all health problems. The training of health care providers in prevention is crucial in order to meet the demand for care in underserved areas. Currently, rural health care providers lack preventive care training opportunities. Interdisciplinary preventive training of rural health care providers must be encouraged. Through such training, rural health care providers can build a strong educational foundation from the behavioral, biological, and psychological sciences. Interdisciplinary team prevention training will also facilitate operations at sites with both health and mental health clinics by facilitating routine consultation between groups. Emphasizing the mental health disciplines and their services as part of the health care team will contribute to the overall health of rural communities. The Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act of 2001 would implement the risk-reduction model described in the IOM study. This model is based on the identification of risk factors and targets specific interventions for those risk factors. The human suffering caused by poor health is immeasurable, and places a huge financial burden on communities, families, and individuals. By implementing preventive measures to reduce this suffering, the potential psychological and financial savings are enormous. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Congressional Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act for the establishment of a National Center for Social Work Research. Social workers provide a multitude of health care delivery services throughout America to our children, families, the elderly, and persons suffering from various forms of abuse and neglect. The purpose of this center is to support and disseminate information about basic and clinical social work research, and training, with emphasis on service to underserved and rural populations. While the federal government provides funding for various social work research activities through the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, there presently is no coordination or direction of these critical activities and no overall assessment of needs and opportunities for empirical knowledge development. The establishment of a Center for Social Work Research would result in improved behavioral and mental health care outcomes for our nation's children, families, the elderly, and others. In order to meet the increasing challenges of bringing cost- effective, research-based, quality health care to all Americans, we must recognize the important contributions of social work researchers to health care delivery and the central role that the Center for Social Work can provide in facilitating their work. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Congressional Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on behalf of our nation's clinical social workers, I am introducing legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act. This legislation would (1) establish a new social work training program; (2) ensure that social work students are eligible for support under the Health Careers Opportunity Program; (3) provide social work schools with eligibility for support under the Minority Centers of Excellence programs; (4) permit schools offering degrees in social work to obtain grants for training projects in geriatrics; and (5) ensure that social work is recognized as a profession under the Public Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act. Despite the impressive range of services social workers provide to people of this national, few federal programs exit to the provide opportunities for social work training in health and mental health care. This legislation would (1) provide funding for existing social work training programs or fellowships for individuals who plan to specialize in, practice, or teach social work; (2) help disadvantaged students earn graduate degrees in social work with a concentration in health or mental health; (3) provide new resources and opportunities in social work training for minorities; and (4) encourage schools of social work to expand programs in geriatrics. Social workers have long provided quality mental health services to our citizens and continue to be at the forefront of establishing innovative programs to service our disadvantaged populations. I believe it is important to ensure that the special expertise social workers posses continue to be available to the citizens of this nation. This bill, by providing financial assistance to schools of social work and social work students, acknowledges the long historic and critical importance of the services provided by social work professionals. I believe it is time to provide them with the cognition they deserve. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I am introducing a private relief bill on behalf of Donald C. Pence of Stanford, North Carolina, for compensation for the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay dependency and indemnity compensation to Kathryn E. Box, the now- deceased mother of Donald C. Pence. It is rare that a federal agency admits a mistake. In this case, the Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted that a mistake was made and explored ways to permit payment under the law, including equitable relief, but has found no provisions authorizing the Department to release the remaining benefits that were unpaid to Mrs. Box at the time of her death. My bill would correct this injustice, and I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, in our effort to accommodate many Americans by making Memorial Day the last Monday in May, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. My bill would restore Memorial Day to May 30 and authorize our flag to fly at half mast on that day. In addition, this legislation would authorize the President to issue a proclamation designating Memorial Day and Veterans Day as days for prayer and ceremonies. This legislation would help restore the recognition our veterans deserve for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation to amend Title 18 of the United States Code to allow our nation's clinical social workers to use their mental health expertise on behalf of the federal judiciary by conducting psychological and psychiatric exams. I feel that the time has come to allow our nation's judicial system to have access to a wide range of behavioral science and mental health expertise. I am confident that the enactment of this legislation would be very much in our nation's best interest. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Congressional Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation that would provide a federal charter for the National Academies of Practice. This organization represents outstanding medical professionals who have made significant contributions to the practice of applied psychology, medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, podiatry, social work, and veterinary medicine. When fully established, each of the nine academies will possess 100 distinguished practitioners selected by their peers. This umbrella organization will be able to provide the Congress of the United States and the executive branch with considerable health policy expertise, especially from the perspective of those individuals who are in the forefront of actually providing health care. As we continue to grapple with the many complex issues surrounding the delivery of health care services, it is clearly in our best interest to ensure that the Congress has direct and immediate access to the recommendations of an interdisciplinary body of health care practitioners. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Nursing School Clinics Act of 2001. This measure builds on our concerted efforts to provide access to quality health care for all Americans by offering grants and incentives for nursing schools to establish primary care clinics in underserved areas where additional medical services are most needed. In addition, this measure provides the opportunity for nursing schools to enhance the scope of student training and education by providing firsthand clinical experience in primary care facilities. Primary care clinics administered by nursing schools are university or nonprofit entity primary care centers developed mainly in collaboration with university schools of nursing and the communities they serve. These centers are staffed by faculty and staff who are nurse practitioners and public health nurses. Students supplement patient care while receiving preceptorships provided by college of nursing faculty and primary care physicians, often associated with academic institutions, who serve as collaborators with nurse practitioners. To date, the comprehensive models of care provided by nursing clinics have yielded excellent results, including significantly fewer emergency room visits, fewer hospital inpatient days, and less use of specialists, as compared to conventional primary health care. This bill reinforces the principle of combining health care delivery in underserved areas with education of advanced practice nurses. To accomplish these objectives, Title XIX of the Social Security Act would be amended to designate that the services provided in these nursing school clinics are reimbursable under Medicaid. The combination of grants and the provision of Medicaid reimbursement furnishes the incentives and operational resources to establish the clinics. In order to meet the increasing challenges of bringing cost-effective and quality health care to all Americans, we must consider and debate various proposals, both large and small. Most importantly, we must approach the issue of health care with creativity and determination, ensuring that all reasonable avenues are pursued. Nurses have always been an integral part of health care delivery. The Nursing School Clinics Act of 2001 recognizes the central role they can perform as care givers to the medically underserved. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to correct discrepancies in the reimbursement of clinical social workers covered through Medicare, Part B. The three proposed changes contained in this legislation clarify the current payment process for clinical social workers and establish a reimbursement methodology for the profession that is similar to other health care professionals reimbursed through the Medicare program. First, this legislation sets payment for clinical social worker services according to a fee schedule established by the Secretary. Second, it explicitly states that services and supplies furnished by a clinical social worker are a covered Medicare expense, just as these services are covered for other mental health professionals in Medicare. Third, the bill allows clinical social workers to be reimbursed for services provided to a client who is hospitalized. Clinical social workers are valued members of our health care provider network. They are legally regulated in every state of the nation and are recognized as independent providers of mental health care throughout the health care system. I believe it is time to correct the disparate reimbursement treatment of this profession under Medicare. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today, I rise to introduce legislation to authorize the autonomous functioning of clinical psychologists and clinical social workers within the Medicare comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility program. In my judgment, it is unfortunate that Medicare requires clinical supervision of the services provided by certain health professionals and does not allow them to function to the full extent of their state practice licenses. Those who need the services of outpatient rehabilitation facilities should have access to a wide range of social and behavioral science expertise. Clinical psychologists and clinical social workers are recognized as independent providers of mental health care services under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, the Medicare (Part B) Program, and numerous private insurance plans. This legislation will ensure that these qualified professionals achieve the same recognition under Medicare comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility program. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Cooperative Housing Corporations (Co-ops) to convert to condominium forms of ownership without any immediate tax consequences. Under current law, a conversion from cooperative shareholding to condominium ownership is taxable at a corporate level as well as an individual level. The conversion is treated as a corporate liquidation, and therefore taxed accordingly. In addition, a capital gains tax is levied on any increase between the owner's basis in the co-op share pre-conversion and the market value of the condominium conversion because the owner is being taxed on a transaction that is nothing more than a change in the form of ownership. While the Internal Revenue Service concedes that there are no discernible advantages to society from the cooperative form of ownership, it does not view federal tax statutes as having the flexibility to allow co-ops to reorganize freely as condominiums. In cooperative housing, real property ownership is vested in a corporation, with shares of stock for each apartment unit, that are sold to buyers. The corporation then issues a proprietary lease entitling the owner of the stock to the use of the unit in perpetuity. Because the investment is in the form of a share of stock, investors sometimes lose their entire investment as a result of debt incurred by the corporation in construction and development. In addition, due to the structure of a cooperative housing corporation, a prospective purchaser of shares in the corporation from an existing tenant- stockholder has difficulty obtaining a mortgage financing for the purchase. Furthermore, tenant-stockholders of cooperative housing also encounter difficulties in securing bank loans for the full value of their investment. As a result, owners of cooperative housing are increasingly looking toward conversion to condominium ownership regimes. Condominium ownership permits each owner of a unit to directly own the unit itself, eliminating the cooperative housing dilemmas of corporate debt that supersedes the investment of cooperative housing share owners, and other financial concerns. The legislation I introduce today will remove the penalty of double taxation of the conversion from the cooperative housing to condominium ownership, and will greatly benefit co-op owners across the nation. I urge my colleagues to consider and support this measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation that would exempt from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes air transportation by helicopters of individuals and cargo for the purpose of conducting removal and environmental restoration activities relating to unexploded ordnance on the island of Kahoolawe. The Kahoolawe Island Unexploded Ordnance Clearance and Environmental Restoration Project is authorized under Title X of the Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The island of Kahoolawe is uninhabited, and it served as a bombing range for the Department of Defense until 1990. The Department of Defense is currently in the process of cleaning up and restoring Kahoolawe for its eventual return to the State of Hawaii by 2003. The Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes help support our nation's air traffic systems and airport infrastructures. However, there are no airports or landing zones on Kahoolawe that receive benefits from the Trust Fund. In addition, the taxes place an undue burden on the air transportation services provided to the Kahoolawe Clearance Project. Compared to a normal airline whose aircraft make fewer trips per day over much longer distances, the services provided to the project are very frequent, with many trips over very short distances. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Clinical Social Workers' Recognition Act of 2001 to correct a continuing problem in the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This bill will also provide clinical social workers the recognition they deserve as independent providers of quality mental health care services. Clinical social workers are authorized to independently diagnose and treat mental illnesses through public and private health insurance plans across the nation. However, Title V, United States Code, does not permit the use of mental health evaluations conducted by clinical social workers for use as evidence in determining workers' compensation claims brought by federal employees. The bill I am introducing corrects this problem. It is a sad irony that federal employees may select a clinical social worker through their health plans to provide mental health services, but may not go to this professional for workers' compensation evaluations. The failure to recognize the validity of evaluations provided by clinical social workers unnecessarily limits federal employees' selection of a provider to conduct the workers' compensation mental health evaluations. Lack of this recognition may well impose an undue burden on federal employees where clinical social workers are the only available providers of mental health care. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce an amendment that would change the existing law regarding the designated position and grade for the Chief Nurses of the United States Army, the United States Navy, and the United States Air Force. Currently, the Chief Nurses of these three branches of the military are only one-star general officer grades; this law would change the current grade to Major General in the Army and Air Force, and Rear Admiral (upper half) in the Navy. Our military Chief Nurses have a tremendous responsibility--their scope of duties include peacetime and wartime health care doctrine, and standards and policy for all nursing personnel within their respective branches. They are responsible for thousands of Army, Navy, and Air Force officer and enlisted nursing personnel in the active, reserve, and guard components of the military. This level of responsibility certainly supports the need to change the grade for the Chief Nurses, which would ensure that they have an appropriate voice in Defense Health Program executive management. Organizations are best served when the leadership is composed of a mix of specialties--of equal rank--bring their unique talents to the policy setting and decision-making process. I believe it is time to ensure that military health care organizations utilize the expertise and unique contributions of the military Chief Nurses. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President today I am reintroducing a bill which is of great importance to a group of patriotic Americans. This legislation is designed to extend space-available travel privileges on military aircraft to those who have been totally disabled in the service of our country. Currently, retired members of the Armed Forces are permitted to travel on a space-available basis on non-scheduled military flights within the continental United States, and on scheduled overseas flights operated by the Military Airlift Command. My bill would provide the same benefits for veterans with 100 percent service-connected disabilities. We owe these heroic men and women who have given so much to our country a debt of gratitude. Of course, we can never repay them for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation, but we can surely try to make their lives more pleasant and fulfilling. One way in which we can help is to extend military travel privileges to these distinguished American veterans. I have received numerous letters from all over the country attesting to the importance attached to this issue by veterans. Therefore, I ask that my colleagues show their concern and join me in saying ``thank you'' by supporting this legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President today I am reintroducing a bill which is of great importance to a group of patriotic Americans. This legislation is designed to extend space-available travel privileges on military aircraft to those who have been totally disabled in the service of our country. Currently, retired members of the Armed Forces are permitted to travel on a space-available basis on non-scheduled military flights within the continental United States, and on scheduled overseas flights operated by the Military Airlift Command. My bill would provide the same benefits for veterans with 100 percent service-connected disabilities. We owe these heroic men and women who have given so much to our country a debt of gratitude. Of course, we can never repay them for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation, but we can surely try to make their lives more pleasant and fulfilling. One way in which we can help is to extend military travel privileges to these distinguished American veterans. I have received numerous letters from all over the country attesting to the importance attached to this issue by veterans. Therefore, I ask that my colleagues show their concern and join me in saying ``thank you'' by supporting this legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce an amendment that would change the existing law regarding the designated position and grade for the Chief Nurses of the United States Army, the United States Navy, and the United States Air Force. Currently, the Chief Nurses of these three branches of the military are only one-star general officer grades; this law would change the current grade to Major General in the Army and Air Force, and Rear Admiral (upper half) in the Navy. Our military Chief Nurses have a tremendous responsibility--their scope of duties include peacetime and wartime health care doctrine, and standards and policy for all nursing personnel within their respective branches. They are responsible for thousands of Army, Navy, and Air Force officer and enlisted nursing personnel in the active, reserve, and guard components of the military. This level of responsibility certainly supports the need to change the grade for the Chief Nurses, which would ensure that they have an appropriate voice in Defense Health Program executive management. Organizations are best served when the leadership is composed of a mix of specialties--of equal rank--bring their unique talents to the policy setting and decision-making process. I believe it is time to ensure that military health care organizations utilize the expertise and unique contributions of the military Chief Nurses. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing legislation to enable those former prisoners of war who have been separated honorably from their respective services and who have been rated as having a 30 percent service-connected disability to have the use of both the military commissary and post exchange privileges. While I realize it is impossible to adequately compensate one who has endured long periods of incarceration at the hands of our nation's enemies, I do feel this gesture is both meaningful and important to those concerned. It also serves as a reminder that our nation has not forgotten their sacrifices. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, all too often we find that our nation's civilian employees of our federal government who have been forcibly detained or interred by a hostile government do not receive the recognition they deserve. My bill would correct this inequity and provide a prisoner of war medal for such citizens. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Clinical Social Workers' Recognition Act of 2001 to correct a continuing problem in the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This bill will also provide clinical social workers the recognition they deserve as independent providers of quality mental health care services. Clinical social workers are authorized to independently diagnose and treat mental illnesses through public and private health insurance plans across the nation. However, Title V, United States Code, does not permit the use of mental health evaluations conducted by clinical social workers for use as evidence in determining workers' compensation claims brought by federal employees. The bill I am introducing corrects this problem. It is a sad irony that federal employees may select a clinical social worker through their health plans to provide mental health services, but may not go to this professional for workers' compensation evaluations. The failure to recognize the validity of evaluations provided by clinical social workers unnecessarily limits federal employees' selection of a provider to conduct the workers' compensation mental health evaluations. Lack of this recognition may well impose an undue burden on federal employees where clinical social workers are the only available providers of mental health care. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation that would exempt from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes air transportation by helicopters of individuals and cargo for the purpose of conducting removal and environmental restoration activities relating to unexploded ordnance on the island of Kahoolawe. The Kahoolawe Island Unexploded Ordnance Clearance and Environmental Restoration Project is authorized under Title X of the Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The island of Kahoolawe is uninhabited, and it served as a bombing range for the Department of Defense until 1990. The Department of Defense is currently in the process of cleaning up and restoring Kahoolawe for its eventual return to the State of Hawaii by 2003. The Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes help support our nation's air traffic systems and airport infrastructures. However, there are no airports or landing zones on Kahoolawe that receive benefits from the Trust Fund. In addition, the taxes place an undue burden on the air transportation services provided to the Kahoolawe Clearance Project. Compared to a normal airline whose aircraft make fewer trips per day over much longer distances, the services provided to the project are very frequent, with many trips over very short distances. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today, I rise to introduce legislation to authorize the autonomous functioning of clinical psychologists and clinical social workers within the Medicare comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility program. In my judgment, it is unfortunate that Medicare requires clinical supervision of the services provided by certain health professionals and does not allow them to function to the full extent of their state practice licenses. Those who need the services of outpatient rehabilitation facilities should have access to a wide range of social and behavioral science expertise. Clinical psychologists and clinical social workers are recognized as independent providers of mental health care services under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, the Medicare (Part B) Program, and numerous private insurance plans. This legislation will ensure that these qualified professionals achieve the same recognition under Medicare comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility program. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Cooperative Housing Corporations (Co-ops) to convert to condominium forms of ownership without any immediate tax consequences. Under current law, a conversion from cooperative shareholding to condominium ownership is taxable at a corporate level as well as an individual level. The conversion is treated as a corporate liquidation, and therefore taxed accordingly. In addition, a capital gains tax is levied on any increase between the owner's basis in the co-op share pre-conversion and the market value of the condominium conversion because the owner is being taxed on a transaction that is nothing more than a change in the form of ownership. While the Internal Revenue Service concedes that there are no discernible advantages to society from the cooperative form of ownership, it does not view federal tax statutes as having the flexibility to allow co-ops to reorganize freely as condominiums. In cooperative housing, real property ownership is vested in a corporation, with shares of stock for each apartment unit, that are sold to buyers. The corporation then issues a proprietary lease entitling the owner of the stock to the use of the unit in perpetuity. Because the investment is in the form of a share of stock, investors sometimes lose their entire investment as a result of debt incurred by the corporation in construction and development. In addition, due to the structure of a cooperative housing corporation, a prospective purchaser of shares in the corporation from an existing tenant- stockholder has difficulty obtaining a mortgage financing for the purchase. Furthermore, tenant-stockholders of cooperative housing also encounter difficulties in securing bank loans for the full value of their investment. As a result, owners of cooperative housing are increasingly looking toward conversion to condominium ownership regimes. Condominium ownership permits each owner of a unit to directly own the unit itself, eliminating the cooperative housing dilemmas of corporate debt that supersedes the investment of cooperative housing share owners, and other financial concerns. The legislation I introduce today will remove the penalty of double taxation of the conversion from the cooperative housing to condominium ownership, and will greatly benefit co-op owners across the nation. I urge my colleagues to consider and support this measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Nursing School Clinics Act of 2001. This measure builds on our concerted efforts to provide access to quality health care for all Americans by offering grants and incentives for nursing schools to establish primary care clinics in underserved areas where additional medical services are most needed. In addition, this measure provides the opportunity for nursing schools to enhance the scope of student training and education by providing firsthand clinical experience in primary care facilities. Primary care clinics administered by nursing schools are university or nonprofit entity primary care centers developed mainly in collaboration with university schools of nursing and the communities they serve. These centers are staffed by faculty and staff who are nurse practitioners and public health nurses. Students supplement patient care while receiving preceptorships provided by college of nursing faculty and primary care physicians, often associated with academic institutions, who serve as collaborators with nurse practitioners. To date, the comprehensive models of care provided by nursing clinics have yielded excellent results, including significantly fewer emergency room visits, fewer hospital inpatient days, and less use of specialists, as compared to conventional primary health care. This bill reinforces the principle of combining health care delivery in underserved areas with education of advanced practice nurses. To accomplish these objectives, Title XIX of the Social Security Act would be amended to designate that the services provided in these nursing school clinics are reimbursable under Medicaid. The combination of grants and the provision of Medicaid reimbursement furnishes the incentives and operational resources to establish the clinics. In order to meet the increasing challenges of bringing cost-effective and quality health care to all Americans, we must consider and debate various proposals, both large and small. Most importantly, we must approach the issue of health care with creativity and determination, ensuring that all reasonable avenues are pursued. Nurses have always been an integral part of health care delivery. The Nursing School Clinics Act of 2001 recognizes the central role they can perform as care givers to the medically underserved. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.