Title: Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act
This bill expands the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in providing services to injured federal workers under the federal workers' compensation program.
Specifically, under the program, nurse practitioners and physician assistants acting within the scope of their practice may (1) prescribe or recommend treatment for injured federal workers; (2) certify the nature of an injury and probable extent of disability; (3) provide prescribed treatment for injured federal workers; and (4) participate, with a physician designated by the Department of Labor, in a mandatory workers' compensation examination of an injured worker. In general, only physicians may fulfill these roles under current law.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6087 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6087

   To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for 
   purposes of workers' compensation under such chapter, services by 
   physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured 
                Federal workers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 30, 2021

  Mr. Courtney (for himself and Mr. Walberg) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for 
   purposes of workers' compensation under such chapter, services by 
   physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured 
                Federal workers, 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 ``Improving Access to Workers' 
Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS IN 
              FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT.

    (a) Inclusion.--Section 8101 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, other eligible 
        providers,'' after ``osteopathic practitioners'';
            (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraphs (18) and 
        (19);
            (3) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (20) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(21) `other eligible provider' means a nurse practitioner 
        or physician assistant within the scope of their practice as 
        defined by State law.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Chapter 81 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 8103(a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or other eligible provider'' 
                after ``physician'' in each instance; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``or other 
                eligible providers'' after ``physicians'';
            (2) in section 8121(6), by inserting ``or other eligible 
        provider'' after ``physician''; and
            (3) in section 8123(a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or other eligible provider'' 
                after ``The employee may have a physician''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or other eligible provider'' 
                after ``United States and the physician''.
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize rules to carry out 
the amendments made by this Act.
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