H. R. 3590-496 (Page 496) SEC. 5210. ESTABLISHING A READY RESERVE CORPS.Section 203 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 204) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 203. COMMISSIONED CORPS AND READY RESERVE CORPS. "(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-
"(1) IN GENERAL.-There shall be in the Service a commissioned Regular Corps and a Ready Reserve Corps for service in time of national emergency.
"(2) REQUIREMENT.-All commissioned officers shall be citizens of the United States and shall be appointed without regard to the civil-service laws and compensated without regard to the Classification Act of 1923, as amended.
"(3) APPOINTMENT.-Commissioned officers of the Ready Reserve Corps shall be appointed by the President and commissioned officers of the Regular Corps shall be appointed by the President with
the advice and consent of the Senate.
"(4) ACTIVE DUTY.-Commissioned officers of the Ready Reserve Corps shall at all times be subject to call to active duty by the Surgeon General, including active duty for the purpose of training.
Section 5210 -
"(c) PURPOSE AND USE OF READY RESEARCH.-
"(1) PURPOSE.-The purpose of the Ready Reserve Corps is to fulfill the need to have additional Commissioned Corps personnel available on short notice (similar to the uniformed service's reserve program) to assist regular Commissioned Corps personnel to meet both routine public health and emergency response missions.
"(2) USES.-The Ready Reserve Corps shall-
"(A) participate in routine training to meet the general and specific needs of the Commissioned
Corps;
"(B) be available and ready for involuntary calls to active duty during national emergencies and public health crises, similar to the uniformed service reserve personnel;
"(C) be available for backfilling critical positions left vacant during deployment of active duty Commissioned Corps members, as well as for deployment to respond to public health emergencies, both foreign and domestic; and
"(D) be available for service assignment in isolated, hardship, and medically underserved communities (as defined in section 799B) to improve access to health services.
