Notes

With the signing of the HOSPITAL SURVEY AND CONSTRUCTION ACT (Public Law 725 of the 79th Congress), the nation has embarked on the most comprehensive hospital and public health construction program ever undertaken. Congress has authorized the appropriation during the next five years of $375,000,000 in federal funds for the building of hospitals and health centers. Since the Act provided that the federal share is to constitute one third of the cost and nonfederal funds the other two thirds, the total expenditure for this nationwide hospital program would approximate $1,125,000,000. Copies of the Hospital Survey and Construction Act may be procured at five cents per copy from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.

The purpose of this Act is to provide federal assistance to the States to the end that 'the necessary physical facilities for furnishing adequate hospital, clinic, and similar services to all their people' will be attained. Federal grants-in-aid are authorized to assist the States: 1. to determine their hospital and public health center needs through statewide surveys; 2. to develop statewide programs for construction of facilities needed to supplement existing facilities; 3. to construct facilities which are thus determined to be necessary, and which are in conformity with the construction program constituting the approved statewide plan.

Hospitals include general, tuberculosis, mental, chronic disease, and other types including public and other nonprofit hospitals.

The federal administration of this program is the responsibility of the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service in the Federal Security Agency. He has the advice and assistance of a Federal Hospital Council with which he is required to consult in administering this Act. The Council consists of the Surgeon General as chairman, and of eight members appointed by the Federal Security Administrator. Of the eight appointed members, four are persons who