Good Samaritan Health Professional Act passes out of committee

Jan 17, 2018 - 04:22 PM

The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee today approved an amended version of the Good Samaritan Health Professional Act (H.R. 1876), AHA-supported legislation that would extend liability standards under the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to licensed health professionals who volunteer in another state during a disaster. “This legislation is a positive step toward removing an impediment for physicians and other clinicians who would like to volunteer in another state during a disaster,” AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels in a letter to sponsor Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last May. “While current state and federal laws provide some level of liability protections for licensed health care professionals administering health care services in response to a declared federal disaster, your legislation fills the gap in current law by extending liability protections to health care professionals crossing state lines to ensure people receive needed health care during such an emergency.”

Related News Articles

Headline
CMS issues preliminary guidance on provider tax provisions under OBBBA 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 14 released preliminary guidance to states on implementing provider tax provisions in the One Big…
Headline
House vote expected on government funding package
The House is expected to begin a final vote Nov. 12 on the Senate-backed funding package, bringing a potential end to the government shutdown one step closer.…
Headline
Senate passes funding legislation, sends to House for consideration 
The Senate Nov. 10 passed legislation to fund the federal government that will now head to the House for a vote as early as the evening of Nov. 12, as an end…
Headline
Senate reaches deal to potentially end government shutdown this week
The Senate Nov. 9 took a critical first step toward ending the government shutdown as seven Democrats and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, joined Republicans to…
Headline
Senate negotiations ongoing as longest government shutdown in history continues
Senate negotiations on a potential funding deal to end the record-long government shutdown are ongoing, and the chamber is likely to continue working through…
Headline
AHA supports House bill pausing home health cuts for two years 
The AHA expressed support Nov. 3 for the bipartisan Home Health Stabilization Act (H.R. 5142), legislation that would establish a two-year pause on planned…