```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 131 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 705
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                 S. 131

                          [Report No. 118-299]

   To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for 
   purposes of workers' compensation under such chapter, services by 
   physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured 
                Federal workers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2023

 Mr. Brown (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Warren, Mrs. 
    Shaheen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Hickenlooper, and Mr. 
   Merkley) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

            December 17 (legislative day, December 16), 2024

               Reported by Mr. Peters, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for 
   purposes of workers' compensation under such chapter, services by 
   physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured 
                Federal workers, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Access to 
Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act of 
2023''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE 
              PRACTITIONERS IN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION 
              ACT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Inclusion.--Section 8101 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, other 
        eligible providers,'' after ``osteopathic 
        practitioners'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraphs 
        (18) and (19);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
        (20) and inserting ``; and''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(21) `other eligible provider' means a nurse 
        practitioner or physician assistant within the scope of their 
        practice as defined by State law.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Chapter 81 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in section 8103(a)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) by inserting ``or other eligible 
                provider'' after ``physician'' in each instance; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``or 
                other eligible providers'' after 
                ``physicians'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in section 8121(6), by inserting ``or other 
        eligible provider'' after ``physician''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) in section 8123(a)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) by inserting ``or other eligible 
                provider'' after ``The employee may have a physician''; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) by inserting ``or other eligible 
                provider'' after ``United States and the 
                physician''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize rules to carry 
out the amendments made by this Act.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be 
determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary 
Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in 
the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, 
provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on 
passage.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Access to Workers' 
Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS IN 
              FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT.

    (a) Inclusion.--Section 8101 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, other eligible 
        providers,'' after ``osteopathic practitioners'';
            (2) in paragraph (18), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (19), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (4) in paragraph (20), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(21) `other eligible provider' means a nurse practitioner 
        or physician assistant within the scope of the practice of that 
        individual as defined by State law.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 8103(a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or other eligible provider'' 
                after ``physician'' each place that term appears; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``(or other 
                eligible providers)'' after ``physicians'';
            (2) in section 8121(6), by inserting ``or other eligible 
        provider'' after ``physician''; and
            (3) in section 8123(a)--
                    (A) in the second sentence, by inserting ``or other 
                eligible provider'' after ``The employee may have a 
                physician''; and
                    (B) in the third sentence, by inserting ``or other 
                eligible provider'' after ``United States and the 
                physician''.
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall finalize rules to 
carry out the amendments made by this Act.
                                                       Calendar No. 705

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 131

                          [Report No. 118-299]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for 
   purposes of workers' compensation under such chapter, services by 
   physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured 
                Federal workers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

            December 17 (legislative day, December 16), 2024

                       Reported with an amendment
```