SECTION 1. AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH BINATIONAL COMMISSION.

    The President is authorized and encouraged to conclude an agreement 
with Mexico to establish a binational commission to be known as the 
United States-Mexico Border Health Commission.

SEC. 2. DUTIES.

    It should be the duty of the Commission--
            (1) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment in the 
        United States-Mexico border area for the purposes of 
        identifying, evaluating, preventing, and resolving health 
        problems that affect the general population of the area;
            (2) to implement the actions recommended by the needs 
        assessment by--
                    (A) assisting in the coordination of the efforts of 
                public and private persons to prevent and resolve such 
                health problems,
                    (B) assisting in the coordination of the efforts of 
                public and private persons to educate such population 
                concerning such health problems, and
                    (C) developing and implementing programs to prevent 
                and resolve such health problems and to educate such 
                population concerning such health problems where a 
                program is necessary to meet a need that is not being 
                met by the efforts of other public or private persons; 
                and
            (3) to formulate recommendations to the Governments of the 
        United States and Mexico concerning a fair and reasonable 
        method by which the government of one country would reimburse a 
        public or private person in the other country for the cost of a 
        health care service that the person furnishes to a citizen or 
        resident alien of the first country who is unable, through 
        insurance or otherwise, to pay for the service.

SEC. 3. OTHER AUTHORIZED FUNCTIONS.

    In addition to the duties described in section 2, the Commission 
should be authorized to perform the following additional functions as 
the Commission determines to be appropriate:
            (1) To conduct or sponsor investigations, research, or 
        studies designed to identify, study, and monitor health 
        problems that affect the general population in the United 
        States-Mexico border area.
            (2) To provide financial, technical, or administrative 
        assistance to public or private persons who act to prevent, 
        resolve, or educate such population concerning such health 
        problems.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment of United States Section.--The United 
States section of the Commission should be composed of 13 members. The 
section should consist of the following members:
            (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services or such 
        individual's delegate.
            (2) The commissioners of health from the States of Texas, 
        New Mexico, California, and Arizona or such individuals' 
        delegates.
            (3) 2 individuals from each of the States of Texas, New 
        Mexico, California, and Arizona who are nominated by the chief 
        executive officer of one of such States and are appointed by 
        the President from among individuals--
                    (A) who have a demonstrated interest in health 
                issues of the United States-Mexico border area; and
                    (B) whose name appears on a list of 6 nominees 
                submitted to the President by the chief executive 
                officer of the State where the nominees resides.
    (b) Commissioner.--The Commissioner of the United States section of 
the Commission should be the Secretary of Health and Human Services or 
such individual's delegate to the Commission. The Commissioner should 
be the leader of the section.

SEC. 5. REGIONAL OFFICES.

    The Commission should establish no fewer than 2 regional border 
offices in locations selected by the Commission.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    Not later than February 1 of each year that occurs more than 1 year 
after the date of the establishment of the Commission, the Commission 
should submit an annual report to both the United States Government and 
the Government of Mexico regarding all activities of the Commission 
during the preceding calendar year.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the United 
        States-Mexico Border Health Commission authorized in section 1.
            (2) Health problem.--The term ``health problem'' means a 
        disease or medical ailment or an environmental condition that 
        poses the risk of disease or medical ailment. The term includes 
        diseases, ailments, or risks of disease or ailment caused by or 
        related to environmental factors, control of animals and 
        rabies, control of insect and rodent vectors, disposal of solid 
        and hazardous waste, and control and monitoring of air and 
        water quality.
            (3) Resident alien.--The term ``resident alien'', when used 
        in reference to a country, means an alien lawfully admitted for 
        permanent residence to the country or otherwise permanently 
        residing in the country under color of law (including residence 
        as an asylee, refugee, or parolee).
            (4) United states-mexico border area.--The term ``United 
        States-Mexico border area'' means the area located in the 
        United States and Mexico within 100 kilometers of the border 
        between the United States and Mexico.
Authorizes the President to conclude an agreement with Mexico to establish a binational commission to be known as the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission. 
Declares that it should be the duty of the Commission to:  (1) conduct a needs assessment in the U.S.-Mexican border area to identify and resolve health problems that affect the general population of the area; (2) coordinate public and private entities to educate the population about, and resolve, such health problems and develop programs to meet needs that are not being met by such persons; and (3) formulate recommendations for a fair method by which the government of one country would reimburse a public or private entity in the other country for the cost of a health care service furnished to a citizen of the first country who is unable to pay for the service.
{"src": "billsum_test", "title": "To authorize and encourage the President to conclude an agreement with Mexico to establish a United States-Mexico Border Health Commission."}