151 
in Louisiana, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall waive any requirement or eligibility criteria that the 
Secretary determines appropriate, including any require-
ment that a community health center must be operated 
as a free-standing clinic. 
(c) DEEMED ELIGIBILITY.—In the case of any health 
provider located in a parish of the State of Louisiana for 
which the President has declared that a major disaster 
exists, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5170) related to Hurricane Katrina and which 
has applied for a grant under section 330 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) during the 1-year 
period preceding the date of enactment of this Act and 
which is still pending as of such date, such provider shall 
be deemed to be a federally qualified health center and 
shall be eligible for a grant under such section until such 
time as a determination on such application is made. 
SEC. 330B. TELEMEDICINE. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Sec-
retary may waive licensing and certification requirements 
relating to telemedicine for health professionals providing 
diagnosis and treatment services to assist in treating vic-
tims of a public health emergency as declared by the Sec-
retary under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act
152 
(42 U.S.C. 247d). Such a waiver may include provisions 
permitting payments to health professionals who provide 
such services. 
SEC. 330C. PENALTIES FOR FRAUDULENT USE OF LICEN-
SURE. 
Chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 1039. Fraudulent use of medical credentials 
‘‘Whoever knowingly or willingly— 
‘‘(1) falsifies a medical license or certification; 
‘‘(2) make any materially false, fictitious, or 
fraudulent statement or representation with respect 
to a medical license or certification; 
‘‘(3) makes or uses any false writing or docu-
ment relating to a medical license or certification 
knowing the same to contain any materially false, 
fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry; or 
‘‘(4) provides medical treatment or services to 
an individual while intentionally misrepresenting 
that such person is appropriately licensed or cer-
tified to provide such services; 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 
5 years, or both.’’.
153 
SEC. 330D. WAIVER OF CERTAIN MEDICARE QUALITY RE-
PORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSPITALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—During the disaster relief period, 
section 1886(b)(3)(B)(vii) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395ww(b)(3)(B)(vii)) shall not apply to a hospital 
that is located in any parish affected by Hurricane 
Katrina (as defined in subsection (b)). 
(b) DIRECT IMPACT PARISH DEFINED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the term ‘‘di-
rect impact parish’’ means a parish in the State of 
Louisiana for which a major disaster has been de-
clared in accordance with section 401 of the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) as a result of Hurricane 
Katrina and which the President has determined, 
before September 14, 2005, warrants individual and 
public assistance from the Federal Government 
under such Act. 
(2) EXCLUSION.—Such term does not include a 
parish in the State of Louisiana which the President 
has determined warrants only public assistance from 
the Federal Government under such Act as a result 
of Hurricane Katrina. 
(3) AUTHORITY TO RELY ON WEBSITE POSTED 
DESIGNATIONS.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall post on the Internet website
154 
for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services a 
list of parishes identified as direct impact parishes 
in accordance with this paragraph. Any such parish 
that is posted on such website as a direct impact 
parish shall be treated for purposes of paragraph (1) 
as described in such paragraph. 
SEC. 330E. MORATORIUM ON REDETERMINATIONS. 
During the disaster relief period, the State of Lou-
isiana shall not be required to conduct eligibility redeter-
minations under the State’s medicaid plan under title XIX 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). 
SEC. 330F. ACCOMMODATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS OF 
KATRINA SURVIVORS UNDER MEDICARE PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) EXCLUSION OF DISASTER RELIEF PERIOD IN 
COMPUTING PART B LATE ENROLLMENT PENALTY.—In 
applying the first sentence of section 1839(b) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r(b)) in the case of a Katrina 
Survivor, there shall not be taken into account any month 
any part of which is within the disaster relief period or 
within the 2-month period following the end of such dis-
aster relief period. 
(b) PART D.— 
(1) EXTENSION OF INITIAL ENROLLMENT PE-
RIOD.—In the case of a Katrina Survivor, the initial
155 
enrollment period under section 1860D–1(b)(2) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 
101(b)(2)) shall in no case end before May 15, 
2007. 
(2) FLEXIBILITY
IN
DOCUMENTATION
FOR 
LOW-INCOME SUBSIDIES.—For purposes of carrying 
out section 1860D–14 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w–114), with respect to Katrina Sur-
vivors, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall establish documentation rules for Katrina Sur-
vivors which take into account the loss and unavail-
ability of documents due to Hurricane Katrina. 
SEC. 330G. MEDICARE PROVIDERS AND SUPPLIERS. 
Notwithstanding any provision of titles XI or XVIII 
of the Social Security Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish procedures to ensure that 
whenever a provider of services (as defined in subsection 
(u) of section 1861 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x)) or 
a supplier (as defined in subsection (d) of such section) 
under the Medicare program under title XVIII of such Act 
temporarily ceases offering items or services or relocates 
to another community as a result of a natural disaster 
or act of terrorism, such temporary cessation of business 
or relocation shall not result in a termination of the pro-
vider of service’s provider agreement or the supplier’s
156 
Medicare participation, or have any adverse impact on any 
terms or provisions of the provider’s Medicare certifi-
cation, supplier’s Medicare participation, or a hospital’s 
Inpatient Prospective Payment System exclusion status or 
classification; but only if the provider or supplier satisfies 
all conditions for Medicare certification and participation 
upon relocating or resuming to provide items or services 
under the Medicare program. 
Subtitle D—Bankruptcy Relief 
SEC. 331. DEFINITIONS; WHO MAY BE A DEBTOR. 
(a) 
CURRENT
MONTHLY
INCOME.—Section 
101(10A)(B) of title 11, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and payments’’ and inserting 
‘‘payments’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘, and payments to victims of a natural 
disaster by a governmental unit or by a qualified re-
ligious or charitable entity or organization, as de-
fined in section 548(d)(4), which were made solely 
on account of their status as victims of such natural 
disaster’’. 
(b) 
NATURAL
DISASTER; 
NATURAL
DISASTER 
ZONE.—Section 101 of title 11, United States Code, is 
amended—
157 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (40A) and 
(40B) as paragraphs (40C) and (40D), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (40) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(40A) The term ‘natural disaster’ means a 
major disaster, as defined in section 102 of the Rob-
ert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
sistance Act. 
‘‘(40B) The term ‘natural disaster zone’ means 
the geographical area included in the determination 
of a natural disaster.’’. 
(c) VICTIM OF NATURAL DISASTER.—Section 101 of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(56) The term ‘victim of a natural disaster’ 
means an individual whose financial condition is ma-
terially adversely affected due to— 
‘‘(A) damage sustained to the principal 
residence of that person, where such residence 
is located in a natural disaster zone, as a result 
of a natural disaster; 
‘‘(B) an inability to remain at the principal 
residence of that person, where such residence
158 
is located in a natural disaster zone, as a result 
of a natural disaster; or 
‘‘(C) an inability to work at the principal 
place of employment of that person, where such 
place of employment is located in a natural dis-
aster zone, as a result of a natural disaster.’’. 
(d) WHO MAY BE A DEBTOR.—Section 109(h)(4) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
‘‘natural disaster,’’ after ‘‘disability,’’. 
SEC. 332. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 5. 
Section 521 of title 11, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) The court, after notice and a hearing upon mo-
tion of the debtor, may extend any time period specified 
in this section as may be necessary, if the court finds 
that— 
‘‘(1) the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster; 
and 
‘‘(2) the status of the debtor as a victim of a 
natural disaster necessitates such extension of 
time.’’. 
SEC. 333. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7. 
(a) REASONABLE NECESSARY EXPENSES.—Section 
707(b)(2)(A)(ii) of title 11, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following:
159 
‘‘(VI) In addition, the monthly expenses of the debtor 
may include the actual reasonably necessary expenses in-
curred as a result of being a victim of a natural disaster 
if the debtor provides documentation of such expenses, 
and a detailed explanation of why such expenses are rea-
sonable and necessary, and why such expenses are not ac-
counted for by the national standards, local standards, 
and other necessary expenses referred to in subclause 
(I).’’. 
(b) NATURAL DISASTER.—Section 707(b)(2)(B)(i) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or 
a natural disaster’’ after ‘‘such as a serious medical condi-
tion or a call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces’’. 
SEC. 334. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 11. 
(a) CONVERSION OF CASE.—Section 1112(b) of title 
11, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding a natural disaster’’ before the semicolon; and 
(2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘(including a 
natural disaster)’’ after ‘‘circumstances’’. 
(b) WHO MAY FILE A PLAN.—Section 1121(e)(3) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ 
after ‘‘(A)’’;
160 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
(3) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) as clauses (ii) and (iii), respectively; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) the debtor, after providing notice to 
parties in interest (including the United States 
trustee) demonstrates that the debtor is unable 
to meet the deadline because of a natural dis-
aster and a new deadline is imposed at the time 
the extension is granted and the order extend-
ing the time is signed before the expiration of 
the existing deadline.’’. 
(c) EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.— 
Chapter 11 of title 11, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the table of sections, by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§1117. Extension of time for small businesses.’’; and 
(2) in subchapter I, by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1117. Extension of time for small businesses 
‘‘In a small business case, the court after notice and 
a hearing may extend any deadline specified in this chap-
ter if the court finds that such extension is— 
‘‘(1) necessary to protect the best interests of 
creditors and the estate; and
161 
‘‘(2) warranted by a natural disaster.’’. 
SEC. 335. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 13. 
(a) CONVERSION OR DISMISSAL.—Section 1307(e) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘The court, after notice and a hearing on motion of the 
debtor, may extend any time period specified in this sub-
section as may be necessary, if— 
‘‘(1) the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster; 
‘‘(2) the status of the debtor as a victim of a 
natural disaster necessitates such extension of time; 
and 
‘‘(3) the debtor files an affidavit stating that 
such tax return was destroyed or lost as a result of 
such natural disaster, and that the debtor has re-
quested a copy of such tax return from the taxing 
authority.’’. 
(b) FILING OF PREPETITION TAX RETURNS.—Sec-
tion 1308 of title 11, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) The court, after notice and a hearing on motion 
of the debtor, may extend any time period specified in this 
subsection as may be necessary, if— 
‘‘(1) the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster;
162 
‘‘(2) the status of the debtor as a victim of a 
natural disaster necessitates such extension of time; 
and 
‘‘(3) the debtor files an affidavit stating that 
such tax return was destroyed or lost as a result of 
such natural disaster and that the debtor has re-
quested a copy of such tax return from the taxing 
authority.’’. 
SEC. 336. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMEND-
MENTS. 
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subtitle and the amend-
ments made by this subtitle shall take effect on October 
18, 2005. 
(b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—The amend-
ments made by this subtitle shall apply only with respect 
to cases commenced under title 11 of the United States 
Code after October 17, 2005. 
Subtitle E—Unemployment 
Compensation 
SEC. 341. FEDERAL-STATE AGREEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any State which desires to do so 
may enter into and participate in an agreement under this 
title with the Secretary of Labor (in this title referred to 
as the ‘‘Secretary’’). Any State which is a party to an