“To permit the use of health care workforce platforms during declared emergencies, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a public-private partnership program under Title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for using certified health care workforce platforms—private technology platforms partnering with credentialed independent contractor health care workers—to provide surge capacity during emergencies declared under section 501 of the act. Specifically, the section (1) authorizes the President to certify such platforms and enter voluntary agreements of at least one year to use them during emergencies; (2) directs the President to coordinate with states to facilitate licensure waivers for out-of-state independent contractor health care workers (i.e., those licensed in at least one state, vetted by a platform, and deployed for emergency response), including model procedures for qualifications, background checks, and expedited deployment; (3) requires the President to submit annual reports to Congress beginning one year after enactment, detailing the number and duration of waivers granted and any challenges encountered; and (4) provides liability protections for compliant workers and platforms (except for willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith), deeming them federal employees under the Federal Tort Claims Act for claims arising from federally directed emergency responses where primary responsibility rests with the United States under section 501(b). The President must issue implementing regulations.