SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Encouraging speedy resolution of claims. 
Sec. 3. Compensating patient injury. 
Sec. 4. Maximizing patient recovery. 
Sec. 5. Authorization of payment of future damages to claimants in health care 
lawsuits. 
Sec. 6. Product liability for health care providers. 
Sec. 7. Definitions. 
Sec. 8. Effect on other laws. 
Sec. 9. Rules of construction. 
Sec. 10. Effective date. 
Sec. 11. Limitation on expert witness testimony. 
Sec. 12. Communications following unanticipated outcome. 
Sec. 13. Expert witness qualifications. 
Sec. 14. Affidavit of merit. 
Sec. 15. Notice of intent to commence lawsuit. 
SEC. 2. ENCOURAGING SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF CLAIMS. 
(a) STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the time for the commencement of a 
health care lawsuit shall be, whichever occurs first of 
the following: 
(A) 3 years after the date of the occur-
rence of the breach or tort; 
(B) 3 years after the date the medical or 
health care treatment that is the subject of the 
claim is completed; or
(C) 1 year after the claimant discovers, or 
through the use of reasonable diligence should 
have discovered, the injury. 
(2) TOLLING.—In no event shall the time for 
commencement of a health care lawsuit exceed 3 
years after the date of the occurrence of the breach 
or tort or 3 years after the date the medical or 
health care treatment that is the subject of the claim 
is completed (whichever occurs first) unless tolled 
for any of the following— 
(A) upon proof of fraud; 
(B) intentional concealment; or 
(C) the presence of a foreign body, which 
has no therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or ef-
fect, in the person of the injured person. 
(3) ACTIONS BY A MINOR.—Actions by a minor 
shall be commenced within 3 years after the date of 
the occurrence of the breach or tort or 3 years after 
the date of the medical or health care treatment that 
is the subject of the claim is completed (whichever 
occurs first) except that actions by a minor under 
the full age of 6 years shall be commenced within 3 
years after the date of the occurrence of the breach 
or tort, 3 years after the date of the medical or 
health care treatment that is the subject of the claim
is completed, or 1 year after the injury is discovered, 
or through the use of reasonable diligence should 
have been discovered, or prior to the minor’s 8th 
birthday, whichever provides a longer period. Such 
time limitation shall be tolled for minors for any pe-
riod during which a parent or guardian and a health 
care provider have committed fraud or collusion in 
the failure to bring an action on behalf of the in-
jured minor. 
(b) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of subsection 
(a) shall be construed to preempt any state law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that— 
(1) specifies a time period of less than 3 years 
after the date of injury or less than 1 year after the 
claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable 
diligence should have discovered, the injury, for the 
filing of a health care lawsuit; 
(2) that specifies a different time period for the 
filing of lawsuits by a minor; 
(3) that triggers the time period based on the 
date of the alleged negligence; or 
(4) establishes a statute of repose for the filing 
of health care lawsuit.
SEC. 3. COMPENSATING PATIENT INJURY. 
(a) UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF DAMAGES FOR ACTUAL 
ECONOMIC LOSSES IN HEALTH CARE LAWSUITS.—In any 
health care lawsuit, nothing in this Act shall limit a claim-
ant’s recovery of the full amount of the available economic 
damages, notwithstanding the limitation in subsection (b). 
(b) ADDITIONAL NONECONOMIC DAMAGES.—In any 
health care lawsuit, the amount of noneconomic damages, 
if available, shall not exceed $250,000, regardless of the 
number of parties against whom the action is brought or 
the number of separate claims or actions brought with re-
spect to the same injury. 
(c) NO DISCOUNT OF AWARD FOR NONECONOMIC 
DAMAGES.—For purposes of applying the limitation in 
subsection (b), future noneconomic damages shall not be 
discounted to present value. The jury shall not be in-
formed about the maximum award for noneconomic dam-
ages. An award for noneconomic damages in excess of 
$250,000 shall be reduced either before the entry of judg-
ment, or by amendment of the judgment after entry of 
judgment, and such reduction shall be made before ac-
counting for any other reduction in damages required by 
law. If separate awards are rendered for past and future 
noneconomic damages and the combined awards exceed 
$250,000, the future noneconomic damages shall be re-
duced first.
(d) FAIR SHARE RULE.—In any health care lawsuit, 
each party shall be liable for that party’s several share 
of any damages only and not for the share of any other 
person. Each party shall be liable only for the amount of 
damages allocated to such party in direct proportion to 
such party’s percentage of responsibility. Whenever a 
judgment of liability is rendered as to any party, a sepa-
rate judgment shall be rendered against each such party 
for the amount allocated to such party. For purposes of 
this section, the trier of fact shall determine the propor-
tion of responsibility of each party for the claimant’s 
harm. 
(e) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that specifies a particular monetary amount of 
economic or noneconomic damages (or the total amount 
of damages) that may be awarded in a health care lawsuit, 
regardless of whether such monetary amount is greater 
or lesser than is provided for under this section. 
SEC. 4. MAXIMIZING PATIENT RECOVERY. 
(a) COURT SUPERVISION OF SHARE OF DAMAGES 
ACTUALLY PAID TO CLAIMANTS.—In any health care law-
suit, the court shall supervise the arrangements for pay-
ment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest
that may have the effect of reducing the amount of dam-
ages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. In par-
ticular, in any health care lawsuit in which the attorney 
for a party claims a financial stake in the outcome by vir-
tue of a contingent fee, the court shall have the power 
to restrict the payment of a claimant’s damage recovery 
to such attorney, and to redirect such damages to the 
claimant based upon the interests of justice and principles 
of equity. In no event shall the total of all contingent fees 
for representing all claimants in a health care lawsuit ex-
ceed the following limits: 
(1) Forty percent of the first $50,000 recovered 
by the claimant(s). 
(2) Thirty-three and one-third percent of the 
next $50,000 recovered by the claimant(s). 
(3) Twenty-five percent of the next $500,000 
recovered by the claimant(s). 
(4) Fifteen percent of any amount by which the 
recovery by the claimant(s) is in excess of $600,000. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The limitations in this section 
shall apply whether the recovery is by judgment, settle-
ment, mediation, arbitration, or any other form of alter-
native dispute resolution. In a health care lawsuit involv-
ing a minor or incompetent person, a court retains the 
authority to authorize or approve a fee that is less than
the maximum permitted under this section. The require-
ment for court supervision in the first two sentences of 
subsection (a) applies only in civil actions. 
(c) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that specifies a lesser percentage or lesser total 
value of damages which may be claimed by an attorney 
representing a claimant in a health care lawsuit. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF PAYMENT OF FUTURE DAM-
AGES TO CLAIMANTS IN HEALTH CARE LAW-
SUITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In any health care lawsuit, if an 
award of future damages, without reduction to present 
value, equaling or exceeding $50,000 is made against a 
party with sufficient insurance or other assets to fund a 
periodic payment of such a judgment, the court shall, at 
the request of any party, enter a judgment ordering that 
the future damages be paid by periodic payments, in ac-
cordance with the Uniform Periodic Payment of Judg-
ments Act promulgated by the National Conference of 
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—This section applies to all ac-
tions which have not been first set for trial or retrial be-
fore the effective date of this Act.
(c) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that specifies periodic payments for future dam-
ages at any amount other than $50,000 or that mandates 
such payments absent the request of either party. 
SEC. 6. PRODUCT LIABILITY FOR HEALTH CARE PRO-
VIDERS. 
A health care provider who prescribes, or who dis-
penses pursuant to a prescription, a medical product ap-
proved, licensed, or cleared by the Food and Drug Admin-
istration shall not be named as a party to a product liabil-
ity lawsuit involving such product and shall not be liable 
to a claimant in a class action lawsuit against the manu-
facturer, distributor, or seller of such product. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SYS-
TEM; ADR.—The term ‘‘alternative dispute resolution 
system’’ or ‘‘ADR’’ means a system that provides 
for the resolution of health care lawsuits in a man-
ner other than through a civil action brought in a 
State or Federal court. 
(2) CLAIMANT.—The term ‘‘claimant’’ means 
any person who brings a health care lawsuit, includ-
ing a person who asserts or claims a right to legal 
or equitable contribution, indemnity, or subrogation, 
arising out of a health care liability claim or action, 
and any person on whose behalf such a claim is as-
serted or such an action is brought, whether de-
ceased, incompetent, or a minor. 
(3) COLLATERAL
SOURCE
BENEFITS.—The 
term ‘‘collateral source benefits’’ means any amount 
paid or reasonably likely to be paid in the future to 
or on behalf of the claimant, or any service, product, 
or other benefit provided or reasonably likely to be 
provided in the future to or on behalf of the claim-
ant, as a result of the injury or wrongful death, pur-
suant to— 
(A) any State or Federal health, sickness, 
income-disability, accident, or workers’ com-
pensation law; 
(B) any health, sickness, income-disability, 
or accident insurance that provides health bene-
fits or income-disability coverage; 
(C) any contract or agreement of any 
group, organization, partnership, or corporation 
to provide, pay for, or reimburse the cost of 
medical, hospital, dental, or income-disability 
benefits; and
(D) any other publicly or privately funded 
program. 
(4) CONTINGENT FEE.—The term ‘‘contingent 
fee’’ includes all compensation to any person or per-
sons which is payable only if a recovery is effected 
on behalf of one or more claimants. 
(5) ECONOMIC DAMAGES.—The term ‘‘economic 
damages’’ means objectively verifiable monetary 
losses incurred as a result of the provision or use of 
(or failure to provide or use) health care services or 
medical products, such as past and future medical 
expenses, loss of past and future earnings, cost of 
obtaining domestic services, loss of employment, and 
loss of business or employment opportunities, unless 
otherwise defined under applicable state law. In no 
circumstances shall damages for health care services 
or medical products exceed the amount actually paid 
or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant. 
(6) FUTURE
DAMAGES.—The term ‘‘future 
damages’’ means any damages that are incurred 
after the date of judgment, settlement, or other reso-
lution (including mediation, or any other form of al-
ternative dispute resolution). 
(7) 
HEALTH
CARE
LAWSUIT.—The 
term 
‘‘health care lawsuit’’ means any health care liability
claim concerning the provision of goods or services 
for which coverage was provided in whole or in part 
via a Federal program, subsidy or tax benefit, or 
any health care liability action concerning the provi-
sion of goods or services for which coverage was pro-
vided in whole or in part via a Federal program, 
subsidy or tax benefit, brought in a State or Federal 
court or pursuant to an alternative dispute resolu-
tion system, against a health care provider regard-
less of the theory of liability on which the claim is 
based, or the number of claimants, plaintiffs, de-
fendants, or other parties, or the number of claims 
or causes of action, in which the claimant alleges a 
health care liability claim. Such term does not in-
clude a claim or action which is based on criminal 
liability; which seeks civil fines or penalties paid to 
Federal, State, or local government; or which is 
grounded in antitrust. 
(8) HEALTH
CARE
LIABILITY
ACTION.—The 
term ‘‘health care liability action’’ means a civil ac-
tion brought in a State or Federal court or pursuant 
to an alternative dispute resolution system, against 
a health care provider regardless of the theory of li-
ability on which the claim is based, or the number 
of plaintiffs, defendants, or other parties, or the
number of causes of action, in which the claimant al-
leges a health care liability claim. 
(9) HEALTH
CARE
LIABILITY
CLAIM.—The 
term ‘‘health care liability claim’’ means a demand 
by any person, whether or not pursuant to ADR, 
against a health care provider, including, but not 
limited to, third-party claims, cross-claims, counter- 
claims, or contribution claims, which are based upon 
the provision or use of (or the failure to provide or 
use) health care services or medical products, re-
gardless of the theory of liability on which the claim 
is based, or the number of plaintiffs, defendants, or 
other parties, or the number of causes of action. 
(10) HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDER.—The term 
‘‘health care provider’’ means any person or entity 
required by State or Federal laws or regulations to 
be licensed, registered, or certified to provide health 
care services, and being either so licensed, reg-
istered, or certified, or exempted from such require-
ment by other statute or regulation, as well as any 
other individual or entity defined as a health care 
provider, health care professional, or health care in-
stitution under state law. 
(11) HEALTH
CARE
SERVICES.—The term 
‘‘health care services’’ means the provision of any
goods or services (including safety, professional, or 
administrative services directly related to health 
care) by a health care provider, or by any individual 
working under the supervision of a health care pro-
vider, that relates to the diagnosis, prevention, or 
treatment of any human disease or impairment, or 
the assessment or care of the health of human 
beings. 
(12) MEDICAL PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘medical 
product’’ means a drug, device, or biological product 
intended for humans, and the terms ‘‘drug’’, ‘‘de-
vice’’, and ‘‘biological product’’ have the meanings 
given such terms in sections 201(g)(1) and 201(h) 
of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 
U.S.C. 321(g)(1) and (h)) and section 351(a) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)), re-
spectively, including any component or raw material 
used therein, but excluding health care services. 
(13) 
NONECONOMIC
DAMAGES.—The 
term 
‘‘noneconomic damages’’ means damages for phys-
ical and emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, 
physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement, 
loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and compan-
ionship, loss of consortium (other than loss of do-
mestic service), hedonic damages, injury to reputa-
tion, and all other nonpecuniary losses of any kind 
or nature incurred as a result of the provision or use 
of (or failure to provide or use) health care services 
or medical products, unless otherwise defined under 
applicable state law. 
(14) RECOVERY.—The term ‘‘recovery’’ means 
the net sum recovered after deducting any disburse-
ments or costs incurred in connection with prosecu-
tion or settlement of the claim, including all costs 
paid or advanced by any person. Costs of health care 
incurred by the plaintiff and the attorneys’ office 
overhead costs or charges for legal services are not 
deductible disbursements or costs for such purpose. 
(15) REPRESENTATIVE.—The term ‘‘represent-
ative’’ means a legal guardian, attorney, person des-
ignated to make decisions on behalf of a patient 
under a medical power of attorney, or any person 
recognized in law or custom as a patient’s agent. 
(16) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Is-
lands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and 
any other territory or possession of the United 
States, or any political subdivision thereof.
SEC. 8. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS. 
(a) VACCINE INJURY.— 
(1) To the extent that title XXI of the Public 
Health Service Act establishes a Federal rule of law 
applicable to a civil action brought for a vaccine-re-
lated injury or death— 
(A) this Act does not affect the application 
of the rule of law to such an action; and 
(B) any rule of law prescribed by this Act 
in conflict with a rule of law of such title XXI 
shall not apply to such action. 
(2) If there is an aspect of a civil action 
brought for a vaccine-related injury or death to 
which a Federal rule of law under title XXI of the 
Public Health Service Act does not apply, then this 
Act or otherwise applicable law (as determined 
under this Act) will apply to such aspect of such ac-
tion. 
(b) OTHER FEDERAL LAW.—Except as provided in 
this section, nothing in this Act shall be deemed to affect 
any defense available to a defendant in a health care law-
suit or action under any other provision of Federal law. 
SEC. 9. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 
(a) HEALTH CARE LAWSUITS.—Unless otherwise 
specified in this Act, the provisions governing health care 
lawsuits set forth in this Act preempt, subject to sub-
sections (b) and (c), State law to the extent that State 
law prevents the application of any provisions of law estab-
lished by or under this Act. The provisions governing 
health care lawsuits set forth in this Act supersede chapter 
171 of title 28, United States Code, to the extent that 
such chapter— 
(1) provides for a greater amount of damages 
or contingent fees, a longer period in which a health 
care lawsuit may be commenced, or a reduced appli-
cability or scope of periodic payment of future dam-
ages, than provided in this Act; or 
(2) prohibits the introduction of evidence re-
garding collateral source benefits, or mandates or 
permits subrogation or a lien on collateral source 
benefits. 
(b) PROTECTION OF STATES’ RIGHTS AND OTHER 
LAWS.—Any issue that is not governed by any provision 
of law established by or under this Act (including State 
standards of negligence) shall be governed by otherwise 
applicable State or Federal law. 
(c) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this Act 
shall be construed to preempt any defense available to a 
party in a health care lawsuit under any other provision 
of State or Federal law.
SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall apply to any health care lawsuit 
brought in a Federal or State court, or subject to an alter-
native dispute resolution system, that is initiated on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, except that 
any health care lawsuit arising from an injury occurring 
prior to the date of the enactment of this Act shall be 
governed by the applicable statute of limitations provisions 
in effect at the time the cause of action accrued. 
SEC. 11. LIMITATION ON EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No person in a health care profes-
sion requiring licensure under the laws of a State shall 
be competent to testify in any court of law to establish 
the following facts— 
(1) the recognized standard of acceptable pro-
fessional practice and the specialty thereof, if any, 
that the defendant practices, which shall be the type 
of acceptable professional practice recognized in the 
defendant’s community or in a community similar to 
the defendant’s community that was in place at the 
time the alleged injury or wrongful action occurred; 
(2) that the defendant acted with less than or 
failed to act with ordinary and reasonable care in ac-
cordance with the recognized standard; and 
(3) that as a proximate result of the defend-
ant’s negligent act or omission, the claimant suf-
fered injuries which would not otherwise have oc-
curred, 
unless the person was licensed to practice, in the State 
or a contiguous bordering State, a profession or specialty 
which would make the person’s expert testimony relevant 
to the issues in the case and had practiced this profession 
or specialty in one of these States during the year pre-
ceding the date that the alleged injury or wrongful act 
occurred. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The requirements set forth in 
subsection (a) shall also apply to expert witnesses testi-
fying for the defendant as rebuttal witnesses. 
(c) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The court may waive the 
requirements in this subsection if it determines that the 
appropriate witnesses otherwise would not be available. 
SEC. 12. COMMUNICATIONS FOLLOWING UNANTICIPATED 
OUTCOME. 
(a) PROVIDER COMMUNICATIONS.—In any health 
care liability action, any and all statements, affirmations, 
gestures, or conduct expressing apology, fault, sympathy, 
commiseration, condolence, compassion, or a general sense 
of benevolence which are made by a health care provider 
or an employee of a health care provider to the patient, 
a relative of the patient, or a representative of the patient 
and which relate to the discomfort, pain, suffering, injury,
or death of the patient as the result of the unanticipated 
outcome of medical care shall be inadmissible for any pur-
pose as evidence of an admission of liability or as evidence 
of an admission against interest. 
(b) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that makes additional communications inadmis-
sible as evidence of an admission of liability or as evidence 
of an admission against interest. 
SEC. 13. EXPERT WITNESS QUALIFICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In any health care lawsuit, an in-
dividual shall not give expert testimony on the appropriate 
standard of practice or care involved unless the individual 
is licensed as a health professional in one or more States 
and the individual meets the following criteria: 
(1) If the party against whom or on whose be-
half the testimony is to be offered is or claims to be 
a specialist, the expert witness shall specialize at the 
time of the occurrence that is the basis for the law-
suit in the same specialty or claimed specialty as the 
party against whom or on whose behalf the testi-
mony is to be offered. If the party against whom or 
on whose behalf the testimony is to be offered is or 
claims to be a specialist who is board certified, the
expert witness shall be a specialist who is board cer-
tified in that specialty or claimed specialty. 
(2) During the 1-year period immediately pre-
ceding the occurrence of the action that gave rise to 
the lawsuit, the expert witness shall have devoted a 
majority of the individual’s professional time to one 
or more of the following: 
(A) The active clinical practice of the same 
health profession as the defendant and, if the 
defendant is or claims to be a specialist, in the 
same specialty or claimed specialty. 
(B) The instruction of students in an ac-
credited health professional school or accredited 
residency or clinical research program in the 
same health profession as the defendant and, if 
the defendant is or claims to be a specialist, in 
an accredited health professional school or ac-
credited residency or clinical research program 
in the same specialty or claimed specialty. 
(3) If the defendant is a general practitioner, 
the expert witness shall have devoted a majority of 
the witness’s professional time in the 1-year period 
preceding the occurrence of the action giving rise to 
the lawsuit to one or more of the following:
(A) Active clinical practice as a general 
practitioner. 
(B) Instruction of students in an accred-
ited health professional school or accredited 
residency or clinical research program in the 
same health profession as the defendant. 
(b) LAWSUITS AGAINST ENTITIES.—If the defendant 
in a health care lawsuit is an entity that employs a person 
against whom or on whose behalf the testimony is offered, 
the provisions of subsection (a) apply as if the person were 
the party or defendant against whom or on whose behalf 
the testimony is offered. 
(c) POWER OF COURT.—Nothing in this subsection 
shall limit the power of the trial court in a health care 
lawsuit to disqualify an expert witness on grounds other 
than the qualifications set forth under this subsection. 
(d) LIMITATION.—An expert witness in a health care 
lawsuit shall not be permitted to testify if the fee of the 
witness is in any way contingent on the outcome of the 
lawsuit. 
(e) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that places additional qualification requirements 
upon any individual testifying as an expert witness.
SEC. 14. AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT. 
(a) REQUIRED FILING.—Subject to subsection (b), 
the plaintiff in a health care lawsuit alleging negligence 
or, if the plaintiff is represented by an attorney, the plain-
tiff’s attorney shall file simultaneously with the health 
care lawsuit an affidavit of merit signed by a health pro-
fessional who meets the requirements for an expert wit-
ness under section 14 of this Act. The affidavit of merit 
shall certify that the health professional has reviewed the 
notice and all medical records supplied to him or her by 
the plaintiff’s attorney concerning the allegations con-
tained in the notice and shall contain a statement of each 
of the following: 
(1) The applicable standard of practice or care. 
(2) The health professional’s opinion that the 
applicable standard of practice or care was breached 
by the health professional or health facility receiving 
the notice. 
(3) The actions that should have been taken or 
omitted by the health professional or health facility 
in order to have complied with the applicable stand-
ard of practice or care. 
(4) The manner in which the breach of the 
standard of practice or care was the proximate cause 
of the injury alleged in the notice. 
(5) A listing of the medical records reviewed.
(b) FILING EXTENSION.—Upon motion of a party for 
good cause shown, the court in which the complaint is filed 
may grant the plaintiff or, if the plaintiff is represented 
by an attorney, the plaintiff’s attorney an additional 28 
days in which to file the affidavit required under sub-
section (a). 
(c) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act) that establishes additional requirements for the 
filing of an affidavit of merit or similar pre-litigation docu-
mentation. 
SEC. 15. NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMMENCE LAWSUIT. 
(a) ADVANCE NOTICE.—A person shall not com-
mence a health care lawsuit against a health care provider 
unless the person has given the health care provider 90 
days written notice before the action is commenced. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—A health care lawsuit against a 
health care provider filed within 6 months of the statute 
of limitations expiring as to any claimant, or within 1 year 
of the statute of repose expiring as to any claimant, shall 
be exempt from compliance with this section. 
(c) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—No provision of this sec-
tion shall be construed to preempt any State law (whether 
effective before, on, or after the date of the enactment of
this Act) that establishes a different time period for the 
filing of written notice. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 28, 2017. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1215 
AN ACT 
To improve patient access to health care services 
and provide improved medical care by reducing 
the excessive burden the liability system places 
on the health care delivery system.