CONSUMER-PATIENT RADIATION HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT OF 1981 (References in black brackets [] are to title 42, United States Code) SHORT TITLE SEC. 975. This subtitle may be cited as the "Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981". STATEMENT OF FINDINGS SEC. 976. [10001] The Congress finds that (1) it is in the interest of public health and safety to minimize unnecessary exposure to potentially hazardous radiation due to medical and dental radiologic procedures; (2) it is in the interest of public health and safety to have a continuing supply of adequately educated persons and appropriate accreditation and certification programs administered by State governments; (3) the protection of the public health and safety from unnecessary exposure to potentially hazardous radiation due to medical and dental radiologic procedures and the assurance of efficacious procedures are the responsibility of State and Federal governments; (4) persons who administer radiologic procedures, including procedures at Federal facilities, should be required to demonstrate competence by reason of education, training, and experience; and (5) the administration of radiologic procedures and the effect on individuals of such procedures have a substantial and direct effect upon United States interstate commerce. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE SEC. 977. [10002] It is the purpose of this subtitle to— (1) provide for the establishment of minimum standards by the Federal Government for the accreditation of education programs for persons who administer radiologic procedures and for the certification of such persons; and (2) insure that medical and dental radiologic procedures are consistent with rigorous safety precautions and standards. DEFINITIONS SEC. 978. [10003] Unless otherwise expressly provided, for purposes of this subtitle, the term (1) "radiation" means ionizing and nonionizing radiation in amounts beyond normal background levels from sources such as medical and dental radiologic procedures; (2) "radiologic procedure" means any procedure or article intended for use in— (A) the diagnosis of disease or other medical or dental conditions in humans (including diagnostic X-rays or nuclear medicine procedures); or (B) the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans; that achieves its intended purpose through the emission of radiation; (3) "radiologic equipment" means any radiation electronic product which emits or detects radiation and which is used or intended for use to (A) diagnose disease or other medical or dental conditions (including diagnostic X-ray equipment); or (B) cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease in humans; that achieves its intended purpose through the emission or detection of radiation; (4) "practitioner" means any licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic, who prescribes radiologic procedures for other persons; (5) "persons who administer radiologic procedures" means any person, other than a practitioner, who intentionally administers radiation to other persons for medical purposes, and includes medical radiologic technologists (including dental hygienists and assistants), radiation therapy technologists, and nuclear medicine technologists; (6) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and (7) "State" means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. PROMULGATION OF STANDARDS SEC. 979. [10004] (a) Within twelve months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Radiation Policy Council, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, appropriate agencies of the States, and appropriate professional organizations, shall by regulation promulgate minimum standards for the accreditation of educational programs to train individuals to perform radiologic procedures. Such standards shall distinguish between programs for the education of (1) medical radiologic technologists (including radiographers), (2) dental auxiliaries (including dental hygienists and assistants), (3) radiation therapy technolo gists, (4) nuclear medicine technologists, and (5) such other kinds of health auxiliaries who administer radiologic procedures as the Secretary determines appropriate. Such standards shall not be applicable to educational programs for practitioners. (b) Within twelve months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Radiation Policy Council, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, interested agencies of the States, and appropriate professional organizations, shall by regulation promulgate minimum standards for the certification of persons who administer radiologic procedures. Such standards shall distinguish between certification of (1) medical radiologic technologists (including radiographers), (2) dental auxiliaries (including dental hygienists and assistants), (3) radiation therapy technologists, (4) nuclear medicine technologists, and (5) such other kinds of health auxiliaries who administer radiologic procedures as the Secretary determines appropriate. Such standards shall include minimum certification criteria for individuals with regard to accredited education, practical experience, successful passage of required examinations, and such other criteria as the Secretary shall deem necessary for the adequate qualification of individuals to administer radiologic procedures. Such standards shall not apply to practitioners. MODEL STATUTE SEC. 980. [10005] In order to encourage the administration of accreditation and certification programs by the States, the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to the States a model statute for radiologic procedure safety. Such model statute shall provide that (1) it shall be unlawful in a State for individuals to perform radiologic procedures unless such individuals are certified by the State to perform such procedures; and (2) Any educational requirements for certification of individuals to perform radiologic procedures shall be limited to educational programs accredited by the State. COMPLIANCE SEC. 981. [10006] (a) The Secretary shall take all actions consistent with law to effectuate the purposes of this subtitle. (b) A State may utilize an accreditation or certification program administered by a private entity if (1) such State delegates the administration of the State accreditation or certification program to such private entity; (2) such program is approved by the State; and (3) such program is consistent with the minimum Federal standards promulgated under this subtitle for such program. (c) Absent compliance by the States with the provisions of this subtitle within three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the Congress recommendations for legislative changes considered necessary to assure the State's compliance with this subtitle. (d) The Secretary shall be responsible for continued monitoring of compliance by the States with the applicable provisions of this subtitle and shall report to the Senate and the House of Representatives by January 1, 1982, and January 1 of each succeeding year the status of the States' compliance with the purposes of this subtitle. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in the case of a State which has, prior to the effective date of standards |