112 STAT. 3584 PUBLIC LAW 105-392—NOV. 13, 1998 " (2) EQUITABLE ALLOCATION REGARDING ACTIVITIES.— In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary shall ensure that services provided under such subsection are equitably allocated among all groups served under this section by the Secretary. " (3) CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF SERVICES.—The Secretary shall ensure that information and services provided pursuant to subsection (b) are provided in the language, educational, and cultural context that is most appropriate for the individuals for whom the information and services are intended. "(e) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS REGARDING DUTIES. — "(1) IN GENERAL.— In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary may make awards of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to public and nonprofit private entities. "(2) PROCESS FOR MAKING AWARDS.— The Deputy Assistant Secretary shall ensure that awards under paragraph (1) are made, to the extent practical, only on a competitive basis, and that a grant is awarded for a proposal only if the proposal has been recommended for such an award through a process of peer review. " (3) EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION. —The Deputy Assistant Secretary, directly or through contracts with public and private entities, shall provide for evaluations of projects carried out with awards made under paragraph (1) during the preceding 2 fiscal years. The report shall be included in the report required under subsection (f) for the fiscal year involved. "(f) REPORTS.— "(1) IN GENERAL. —Not later than February 1 of fiscal year 1999 and of each second year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report describing the activities carried out under this section during the preceding 2 fiscal years and evaluating the extent to which such activities have been effective in improving the health of racial and ethnic minority groups. Each such report shall include the biennial reports submitted under sections 201(e)(3) and 201(f)(2) for such years by the heads of the Public Health Service agencies. "(2) AGENCY REPORTS.— Not later than February 1, 1999, and biennially thereafter, the heads of the Public Health Service agencies shall submit to the Deputy Assistant Secretary a report summarizing the minority health activities of each of the respective agencies. "(g) DEFINITION.— For purposes of this section: "(1) The term 'racial and ethnic minority group' means American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics. "(2) The term 'Hispanic' means individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish-speaking country. " (h) FUNDING. — "(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2002. ".
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