Title: HEALTHIER Act of 2017
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Health for Each American Less fortunate Through Help from medical professionals In Every Rural and impoverished area Act of 2017 or the HEALTHIER Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states with a volunteer health care provider law that permits a volunteer to provide health care services without being licensed in the state if the volunteer is licensed in another state.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 860 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Health for Each American Less 
fortunate Through Help from medical professionals In Every Rural and 
impoverished area Act of 2017'' or the ``HEALTHIER Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR STATES PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY IN LICENSING FOR 
              HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WHO OFFER SERVICES ON A VOLUNTEER 
              BASIS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
establish a two-year grant program under which the Secretary awards 
grants to States that adopt a volunteer health care provider law during 
the period of the grant program and to States that have adopted such a 
law before such period.
    (b) Volunteer Health Care Provider Law.--For purposes of this 
section, the term ``volunteer health care provider law'' means, a law 
of a State that permits a health care provider to provide health care 
services in such State (in this subsection referred to as the 
``volunteer health care provider law State''), even though the provider 
is not licensed in such State to provide such services, if--
            (1) such services are offered and provided in the volunteer 
        health care provider law State solely on a volunteer basis to 
        rural or impoverished areas (as defined by such volunteer 
        health care provider law State) that are located within such 
        State; and
            (2) such provider has an active, unencumbered license to 
        practice in another State and such services are within the 
        scope of practice of such provider (as defined by such 
        volunteer health care provider law State).
    (c) Administrative Provisions.--
            (1) One-time grant.--A State shall be eligible for not more 
        than one grant under this section.
            (2) Amount of grant.--The amount of a grant awarded a State 
        under this section shall be $1,000,000.
    (d) Additional Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Volunteer basis.--The term ``volunteer basis'' means, 
        with respect to health care services provided by a health care 
        provider, that such services are provided by such provider--
                    (A) on behalf of a nonprofit organization, such as 
                a church or charity;
                    (B) without receipt by such provider of 
                compensation (other than reasonable reimbursement or 
                allowance for expenses actually incurred) for providing 
                such services; and
                    (C) for a period not to exceed 7 consecutive days.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the 50 States 
        and the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
        the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana 
        Islands, and American Samoa.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $56,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2019 to carry out this section.
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