PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Became Public Law No: 109-18.
Congressional Research Service
Version 49 · Public Law · Jun 29, 2005
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on June 13, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to eligible entities for the development and operation of demonstration programs to provide patient navigator services to improve health care outcomes. Requires the Secretary to coordinate with, and ensure the participation of, the Indian Health Service, the National Cancer Institute, and the Office of Rural Health Policy.
Requires that each grantee agree to recruit, assign, train, and employ patient navigators who have direct knowledge of the communities they serve to facilitate the care of individuals, including by: (1) acting as contacts for individuals seeking prevention or early detection services for cancer or other chronic diseases; (2) facilitating the involvement of community organizations to provide better access to high-quality health care services to individuals at risk for, or who have, cancer or other chronic diseases; (3) coordinating with the relevant health insurance ombudsman programs to provide information to such individuals about health coverage; (4) notifying individuals of clinical trials; (5) helping patients overcome barriers within the health care system to ensure prompt diagnostic and treatment resolution of an abnormal finding of cancer or other chronic disease; and (6) conducting ongoing outreach to health disparity populations.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) require each grant recipient to prohibit patient navigators from accepting anything of value in return for referring an individual to a particular health care provider; and (2) prohibit the use of any grant funds to pay any fees or costs resulting from any proceeding to resolve a legal dispute. Allows the Secretary to grant awards for a period of no more than three years with a one year extension.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) direct that each application for a grant outline how the eligible entity will establish baseline measures and benchmarks that meet the Secretary's requirements to evaluate program outcomes; (2) establish uniform baseline measures in order to properly evaluate the impact of the demonstration projects; (3) give preference to those entities that demonstrate plans to utilize patient navigator services to overcome significant barriers to improve health care outcomes within their respective communities; and (4) ensure coordination of the grant programs under this Act with existing authorized programs to facilitate access to high-quality health care services.
Requires the Secretary to study the program and report to Congress on the results to include an evaluation of program outcomes and recommendations as to whether such programs could be used to improve patient outcomes in other public health areas.
Sets forth reporting requirements.
Authorizes appropriations.
People & committees
Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-13] · D–NJ
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Became Public Law No: 109-18.
Became Public Law No: 109-18.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Cleared for White House.
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7200)
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7200)
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4358-4359)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4358-4359)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1812.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4358-4361)
Mr. Gillmor moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 58.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 109-104.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 109-104.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.1812 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.1812 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.1812 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.1812 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.