I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9571 
To amend title II of the Public Health Services to provide clarity with 
respect to coverage of claims against health care practitioners providing 
health professional volunteer services at community health centers during 
declared emergencies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2022 
Mr. BARR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title II of the Public Health Services to provide 
clarity with respect to coverage of claims against health 
care practitioners providing health professional volunteer 
services at community health centers during declared 
emergencies. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. COVERAGE OF CLAIMS AGAINST PRACTI-
TIONERS 
PROVIDING 
HEALTH 
PROFES-
SIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICES AT COMMU-
NITY HEALTH CENTERS DURING DECLARED 
EMERGENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 224(q)(3) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233(q)(3)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) Notwithstanding the process de-
scribed in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph 
(B), a health care practitioner who is a health 
professional volunteer sponsored by an entity 
described in subsection (g)(4) shall be deemed 
to be sponsored by another entity described in 
subsection (g)(4) if— 
‘‘(i) such other entity seeks the assist-
ance of such health professional volunteer 
for purposes of responding to a declared 
emergency; 
‘‘(ii) such other entity submits a noti-
fication of such assistance to the Secretary 
not later than 15 days after the first day 
on which such volunteer is to begin service 
at such entity; and 
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‘‘(iii) such volunteer is serving at such 
entity pursuant to such notification during 
a covered service period. 
‘‘(F) For purposes of subparagraph (E): 
‘‘(i) The term ‘covered service period’ 
means the period— 
‘‘(I) beginning on the later of— 
‘‘(aa) the date on which the 
volunteer begins service at an-
other entity described in sub-
section (g)(4); or 
‘‘(bb) the first day of a de-
clared emergency, as determined 
by the Secretary, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Adminis-
tration; and 
‘‘(II) ending on the earlier of— 
‘‘(aa) the date on which the 
declared emergency ends; 
‘‘(bb) the date on which the 
provider stops volunteering at 
such other entity; or 
‘‘(cc) 90 days after the date 
determined under subclause (I). 
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‘‘(ii) The term ‘declared emergency’ 
means— 
‘‘(I) an emergency or disaster de-
clared by the President pursuant to 
the National Emergencies Act or the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act; and 
‘‘(II) a public health emergency 
declared by the Secretary pursuant to 
section 319 of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 224(q) of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233(q)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting be-
fore the period at the end the following: ‘‘(or is 
deemed to be sponsoring a health care practi-
tioner pursuant to paragraph (3)(E))’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by inserting be-
fore the period at the end the following: ‘‘(and 
in the case of a health care practitioner pro-
viding services at another entity described in 
subsection (g)(4) pursuant to paragraph (3)(E), 
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the State in which such other entity is lo-
cated)’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(B), in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘With respect’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Except as provided in subparagraph (E), 
with respect’’. 
Æ 
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