(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘or em-
ployee’’ and inserting ‘‘employee, or (subject to 
subsection (k)(4)) volunteer practitioner’’; and 
(B) in the second sentence, by inserting 
‘‘and subsection (k)(4)’’ after ‘‘subject to para-
graph (5)’’; and 
(2) in each of subsections (g), (i), (j), (k), (l), 
and (m)— 
(A) by striking the term ‘‘employee, or con-
tractor’’ each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘employee, volunteer practitioner, or con-
tractor’’; 
(B) by striking the term ‘‘employee, and 
contractor’’ each place such term appears and 
inserting ‘‘employee, volunteer practitioner, and 
contractor’’; 
(C) by striking the term ‘‘employee, or any 
contractor’’ each place such term appears and 
inserting ‘‘employee, volunteer practitioner, or 
contractor’’; and 
(D) by striking the term ‘‘employees, or con-
tractors’’ each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘employees, volunteer practitioners, or 
contractors’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
22:42 Jun 04, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1343.RH
H1343
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(b) APPLICABILITY; DEFINITION.—Section 224(k) of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233(k)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following paragraph: 
‘‘(4)(A) Subsections (g) through (m) apply with respect 
to volunteer practitioners beginning with the first fiscal 
year for which an appropriations Act provides that 
amounts in the fund under paragraph (2) are available 
with respect to such practitioners. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of subsections (g) through (m), the 
term ‘volunteer practitioner’ means a practitioner who, 
with respect to an entity described in subsection (g)(4), 
meets the following conditions: 
‘‘(i) In the State involved, the practitioner is a 
licensed physician, a licensed clinical psychologist, or 
other licensed or certified health care practitioner. 
‘‘(ii) At the request of such entity, the practi-
tioner provides services to patients of the entity, at a 
site at which the entity operates or at a site des-
ignated by the entity. The weekly number of hours of 
services provided to the patients by the practitioner is 
not a factor with respect to meeting conditions under 
this subparagraph. 
‘‘(iii) The practitioner does not for the provision 
of such services receive any compensation from such 
patients, from the entity, or from third-party payors 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
22:42 Jun 04, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1343.RH
H1343
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(including reimbursement under any insurance policy 
or health plan, or under any Federal or State health 
benefits program).’’. 
SEC. 5. LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR HEALTH CENTER 
PRACTITIONERS 
PROVIDING 
SERVICES 
IN 
EMERGENCY AREAS. 
Section 224(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 233(g)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), by striking ‘‘sub-
paragraph (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (C) 
and paragraph (6)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following para-
graph: 
‘‘(6)(A) Subject to subparagraph (C), paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii) applies to health services provided to individuals 
who are not patients of the entity involved if, as determined 
under criteria issued by the Secretary, the following condi-
tions are met: 
‘‘(i) The services are provided by a contractor, 
volunteer practitioner (as defined in subsection 
(k)(4)(B)), or employee of the entity who is a physi-
cian or other licensed or certified health care practi-
tioner and who is otherwise deemed to be an employee 
for purposes of paragraph (1)(A) when providing 
services with respect to the entity. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
22:42 Jun 04, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1343.RH
H1343
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
‘‘(ii) The services are provided in an emergency 
area (as defined in subparagraph (D)), with respect 
to a public health emergency or major disaster de-
scribed in subparagraph (D), and during the period 
for which such emergency or disaster is determined or 
declared, respectively. 
‘‘(iii) The services of the contractor, volunteer 
practitioner, or employee (referred to in this para-
graph as the ‘out-of-area practitioner’) are provided 
under an arrangement with— 
‘‘(I) an entity that is deemed to be an em-
ployee for purposes of paragraph (1)(A) and that 
serves the emergency area involved (referred to in 
this paragraph as an ‘emergency-area entity’); 
or 
‘‘(II) a Federal agency that has responsibil-
ities regarding the provision of health services in 
such area during the emergency. 
‘‘(iv) The purposes of the arrangement are— 
‘‘(I) to coordinate, to the extent practicable, 
the provision of health services in the emergency 
area by the out-of-area practitioner with the pro-
vision of services by the emergency-area entity, 
or by the Federal agency, as the case may be; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
22:42 Jun 04, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H1343.RH
H1343
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS