PUBLIC LAW 97-35—AUG. 13, 1981
95 STAT. 599
STATEMENT OP PURPOSE
SEC. 977. It is the purpose of this subtitle to— 42 USC 10002. (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. Unless otherwise expressly provided, for purposes of this '^2 USC 10003. subtitle, the term— (1) "radiation" means ionizing and nonionizing radiation in amounts beyond normed 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 medic£j 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. (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 educa-
89-194 O—82
40:QL3
Regulation. 42 USC 10004.
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