Title: TRIAGE Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Temporary Responders for Immediate Aid in Grave Emergencies Act of 2020 or the TRIAGE Act of 2020
This bill (1) directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a database to facilitate the provision of health care services by volunteers during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency, and (2) authorizes HHS to award grants to states to expedite the reactivation of expired health care licenses of health care professionals who volunteer during the emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6618 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6618

  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
   database to facilitate the provision of health care services by a 
   volunteer at a Federal or State agency during the COVID-19 public 
               health emergency, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2020

  Mr. Crow (for himself and Mr. Waltz) 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 
   database to facilitate the provision of health care services by a 
   volunteer at a Federal or State agency during the COVID-19 public 
               health emergency, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Temporary Responders for Immediate 
Aid in Grave Emergencies Act of 2020'' or the ``TRIAGE Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.

    (a) Health Care Professional Volunteer Database.--Not later than 7 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
establish a database to facilitate the provision of health care 
services by volunteers during the period of the public health emergency 
at Federal or State agencies.
    (b) Volunteer Information Collection.--For purposes of the database 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish a toll-free 
telephone number and a public website to collect the relevant 
information of health care professional volunteers, including--
            (1) the contact information of a volunteer; and
            (2) the Federal or State agency at which the health care 
        professional prefers to volunteer.
    (c) Coordination.-- The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall coordinate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary 
of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Attorney General of the 
United States, and the State agencies with the primary responsibility 
for public health within the respective States, to facilitate the 
exchange of information collected pursuant to subsection (b).

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO EXPEDITE REACTIVATION OF AN EXPIRED LICENSE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to States for 
reactivating the expired licenses of health care professionals to the 
extent necessary to allow such professionals to volunteer, and 
assigning such professionals to volunteer, pursuant to section 2 during 
the public health emergency.
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Public health emergency.--During the public health 
        emergency, a State receiving a grant under this section may use 
        such funds to--
                    (A) expedite the reactivation of a medical license, 
                including--
                            (i) a criminal record history check and 
                        similar vetting as required under State law for 
                        each volunteer;
                            (ii) covering the cost of reactivation of 
                        the license;
                            (iii) hiring additional staff;
                            (iv) providing appropriate refresher 
                        training; and
                            (v) any other logistical, administrative, 
                        or material costs that may arise; and
                    (B) implement a process to assign a health care 
                professional to a hospital, a health care clinic, or 
                any other health care facility within the State.
            (2) Termination of public health emergency.--If a State 
        receiving a grant under this section has grant funds remaining 
        at the end of the public health emergency, the State may use 
        such funds, during the 6-month period following such emergency, 
        for restoring health care system readiness and procuring 
        infectious disease personal protective equipment.
    (c) Reactivated License.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition on receipt of a grant under 
        this section, a State shall require a health care professional 
        whose license is reactivated pursuant to the grant to perform 
        health care services under the guidance of a health care 
        professional with an active license and in good standing on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Restriction.--As a condition on receipt of a grant 
        under this section, a State may not use a grant under this 
        section to reactivate a license of an unlicensed health care 
        professional if--
                    (A) the unlicensed health care professional was not 
                in good standing when the medical license expired; or
                    (B) the unlicensed health care professional has 
                been convicted of a crime that would limit their 
                ability to provide health care services.
    (d) Grant Amount.--The amount of a grant under this section shall 
not exceed $250,000.
    (e) Period of the Grant.--The period of a grant under this section 
shall be in effect only for the length of the public health emergency.
    (f) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application in such 
form, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require.
    (g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to 
require a State to continue in effect a license beyond the public 
health emergency.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriation.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Subject to paragraph (7), the term ``health care 
        professional'' means an individual who is licensed, registered, 
        or certified under Federal or State law to provide health care 
        services.
            (2) The term ``health care services'' means any services 
        provided by a health care professional, or by any individual 
        working under the supervision of a health care professional, 
        that relate to the assessment or care of the health of a human 
        being, including the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of 
        COVID-19.
            (3) The term ``license'' includes a license, registration, 
        or certification, as defined by the State of licensure, 
        registration, or certification to provide health care services.
            (4) The term ``public health emergency'' means the public 
        health emergency declared by the Secretary pursuant to section 
        319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on 
        January 31, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.
            (5) Except as otherwise specified in this Act, the term 
        ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (6) The term ``State'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 311 of title 5, United States Code.
            (7) The term ``unlicensed health care professional'' means 
        a health care professional with an expired license.
            (8)(A) The term ``volunteer'' means a health care 
        professional who, with respect to the health care services 
        rendered, does not receive compensation or any other thing of 
        value in lieu of compensation.
            (B) In this paragraph the term ``compensation''--
                    (i) includes a payment under any insurance policy 
                or health plan, or under any Federal or State health 
                benefits program; and
                    (ii) excludes--
                            (I) receipt of items to be used exclusively 
                        for rendering health care services; and
                            (II) excludes any direct payment or 
                        something of value from a State, hospital, or 
                        any other donation, including reimbursement for 
                        travel, lodging, and per diem in lieu of 
                        subsistence.
                                 <all>