I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4819 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant 

program for States that provide flexibility in licensing for health care 

providers who offer services on a volunteer basis. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2016 

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. 

FLEISCHMANN, and Mr. DESJARLAIS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 

to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 

establish a grant program for States that provide flexibility in licensing for health care providers who offer 

services on a volunteer basis. 

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 ‘‘Health for Each Amer5 ican Less fortunate Through Help from medical profesVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 Mar 22, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4819.IH H4819

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1 sionals In Every Rural and impoverished area Act of 

2 2016’’ or the ‘‘HEALTHIER Act of 2016’’. 

3 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR STATES PROVIDING FLEXI4 BILITY IN LICENSING FOR HEALTH CARE 

5 PROVIDERS WHO OFFER SERVICES ON A VOL6 UNTEER BASIS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

8 Human Services shall establish a two-year grant program 

9 under which the Secretary awards grants to States that 

10 adopt a volunteer health care provider law during the pe11 riod of the grant program and to States that have adopted 

12 such a law before such period. 

13 (b) VOLUNTEER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LAW.— 

14 For purposes of this section, the term ‘‘volunteer health 

15 care provider law’’ means, a law of a State that permits 

16 a health care provider to provide health care services in 

17 such State (in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘volunteer 

18 health care provider law State’’), even though the provider 

19 is not licensed in such State to provide such services, if— 

20 (1) such services are offered and provided in 

21 the volunteer health care provider law State solely 

22 on a volunteer basis to rural or impoverished areas 

23 (as defined by such volunteer health care provider 

24 law State) that are located within such State; and 


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1 (2) such provider has an active, unencumbered 

2 license to practice in another State and such services 

3 are within the scope of practice of such provider (as 

4 defined by such volunteer health care provider law 

5 State). 

6 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.— 

7 (1) ONE-TIME GRANT.—A State shall be eligible 

8 for not more than one grant under this section. 

9 (2) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of a 

10 grant awarded a State under this section shall be 

11 $1,000,000. 

12 (d) ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this 

13 section: 

14 (1) VOLUNTEER BASIS.—The term ‘‘volunteer 

15 basis’’ means, with respect to health care services 

16 provided by a health care provider, that such serv17 ices are provided by such provider— 

18 (A) on behalf of a nonprofit organization, 

19 such as a church or charity; 

20 (B) without receipt by such provider of 

21 compensation (other than reasonable reimburse22 ment or allowance for expenses actually in23 curred) for providing such services; and 

24 (C) for a period not to exceed 7 consecu25 tive days. 


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1 (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 

2 the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the 

3 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 

4 Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 

5 and American Samoa. 

6 (e) FUNDING FROM CONTINGENCY FUND FOR STATE

7 WELFARE PROGRAMS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is transferred, from 

9 amounts appropriated to the Contingency Fund for 

10 State Welfare Programs under section 403(b) of the 

11 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)) for fiscal 

12 year 2017, $56,000,000 to the Secretary of Health 

13 and Human Services for the purposes of carrying 

14 out the grant program established under subsection 

15 (a). Such funds shall remain available for such pur16 poses through fiscal year 2018. Of the funds trans17 ferred under this paragraph, any amount that has 

18 not been obligated by September 30, 2018, shall be 

19 restored to the Contingency Fund for State Welfare 

20 Programs. 

21 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

22 403(b)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 603(b)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, subject to secVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 Mar 22, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4819.IH H4819

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1 tion 2(e)(1) of the HEALTHIER Act of 2016,’’ 

2 after ‘‘there are appropriated’’. 

Æ 


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