I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 921 

To provide protections for certain sports medicine professionals who provide 

certain medical services in a secondary State. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2015 

Mr. GUTHRIE (for himself, Mr. RICHMOND, and Mr. WOMACK) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To provide protections for certain sports medicine professionals who provide certain medical services in a secondary State. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sports Medicine Licen5 sure Clarity Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CHOICE OF LAW PROTECTIONS FOR COVERED 

2 SPORTS MEDICINE PROFESSIONALS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—If a covered sports medicine pro4 fessional provides covered medical services to an athlete, 

5 an athletic team, or a staff member of an athlete or ath6 letic team in a secondary State, such services shall be 

7 deemed to have been provided in the primary State for 

8 the following purposes: 

9 (1) Determining the medical professional liabil10 ity insurance of that professional. 

11 (2) Determining the civil and criminal mal12 practice liability of that professional. 

13 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

14 In this Act the following definitions apply: 

15 (1) ATHLETE.—The term ‘‘athlete’’ means an 

16 individual— 

17 (A) competing in a sporting event spon18 sored or sanctioned by a national governing 

19 body; or 

20 (B) for whom an institution of higher edu21 cation provides a covered sports medicine pro22 fessional. 

23 (2) ATHLETIC TEAM.—The term ‘‘athletic 

24 team’’ means a sports team— 

25 (A) composed of individuals who are paid 

26 to participate on the team; 


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1 (B) composed of individuals who are com2 peting in a sporting event sponsored or sanc3 tioned by a national governing body; or 

4 (C) for which an institution of higher edu5 cation provides a covered sports medicine pro6 fessional. 

7 (3) COVERED MEDICAL SERVICES.—The term 

8 ‘‘covered medical services’’ means general medical 

9 care, emergency medical care, or athletic training 

10 services. Such term does not include care provided 

11 by a covered sports medicine professional— 

12 (A) at a health care facility; or 

13 (B) while a health care provider legally au14 thorized to practice in the secondary State is 

15 transporting the injured individual to a health 

16 care facility. 

17 (4) COVERED SPORTS MEDICINE PROFES18 SIONAL.—The term ‘‘covered sports medicine profes19 sional’’ means a physician or athletic trainer who— 

20 (A) is legally authorized to practice in the 

21 primary State; 

22 (B) provides covered medical services, pur23 suant to a written agreement with an athletic 

24 team, national governing body, or institution of 


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1 higher education, to an individual who is a 

2 member or staff of the athletic team; and 

3 (C) prior to providing the covered medical 

4 services described in subparagraph (B), has dis5 closed the nature and extent of such services to 

6 the entity that provides the physician or athletic 

7 trainer with medical professional liability insur8 ance in the primary State. 

9 (5) HEALTH CARE FACILITY.—The term 

10 ‘‘health care facility’’ means a facility in which med11 ical care, diagnosis, or treatment is provided on an 

12 inpatient or outpatient basis. Such term does not in13 clude facilities at an arena or stadium or temporary 

14 facilities existing for events where athletic teams are 

15 competing. 

16 (6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

17 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

18 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High19 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

20 (7) NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY.—The term 

21 ‘‘national governing body’’ has the meaning given 

22 such term in section 220501 of title 36, United 

23 States Code. 

24 (8) PRIMARY STATE.—The term ‘‘primary 

25 State’’ means the State in which the covered sports 


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1 medicine professional is legally authorized to prac2 tice pursuant to a written agreement with an ath3 letic team, national governing body, or institution of 

4 higher education. 

5 (9) SECONDARY STATE.—The term ‘‘secondary 

6 State’’ means any State in which the covered sports 

7 medicine professional is not legally authorized to 

8 practice. 

9 (10) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

10 the several States, the District of Columbia, and 

11 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

12 United States. 

Æ 


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