I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 860 

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 

FEBRUARY 3, 2017 

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

COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

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 profes6 sionals In Every Rural and impoverished area Act of 

7 2017’’ or the ‘‘HEALTHIER Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR STATES PROVIDING FLEXI2 BILITY IN LICENSING FOR HEALTH CARE 

3 PROVIDERS WHO OFFER SERVICES ON A VOL4 UNTEER BASIS. 

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

6 Human Services shall establish a two-year grant program 

7 under which the Secretary awards grants to States that 

8 adopt a volunteer health care provider law during the pe9 riod of the grant program and to States that have adopted 

10 such a law before such period. 

11 (b) VOLUNTEER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LAW.— 

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

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

14 a health care provider to provide health care services in 

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

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

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

18 (1) such services are offered and provided in 

19 the volunteer health care provider law State solely 

20 on a volunteer basis to rural or impoverished areas 

21 (as defined by such volunteer health care provider 

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

23 (2) such provider has an active, unencumbered 

24 license to practice in another State and such services 

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


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1 defined by such volunteer health care provider law 

2 State). 

3 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.— 

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

5 for not more than one grant under this section. 

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

7 grant awarded a State under this section shall be 

8 $1,000,000. 

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

10 section: 

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

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

13 provided by a health care provider, that such serv14 ices are provided by such provider— 

15 (A) on behalf of a nonprofit organization, 

16 such as a church or charity; 

17 (B) without receipt by such provider of 

18 compensation (other than reasonable reimburse19 ment or allowance for expenses actually in20 curred) for providing such services; and 

21 (C) for a period not to exceed 7 consecu22 tive days. 

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

24 the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the 

25 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 


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1 Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 

2 and American Samoa. 

3 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated $56,000,000 for the period 

5 of fiscal years 2018 through 2019 to carry out this sec6 tion. 

Æ 


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