Sponsor
David Rouzer
Representative · R-NC
Representative · R-NC
The bill speeds and expands access to credentialed clinicians during declared disasters by enabling cross‑state temporary licensure and offering liability protections, but it shifts control and accountability away from state regulators and patients and may advantage certified platforms over smaller providers.
Patients in disaster-affected areas (including those with chronic conditions) gain faster access to credentialed health professionals through certified platforms during declared emergencies.
Independent-contractor and gig health care workers can be deployed across state lines more quickly because the federal government will facilitate temporary licensure waivers and provide model procedures.
Platforms and participating health workers operating under federal agreements receive liability protection, reducing legal risk and making it easier for providers to participate in emergency surge responses.
Relying on platform vetting and expedited procedures risks variable verification and credentialing standards across states, which could harm care quality or patient safety during emergencies.
State and local regulators may lose control over professional licensure standards when federal-facilitated waivers allow out-of-state contractors to practice temporarily.
Liability protections and Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming could reduce patients' ability to sue private platforms or contractors for harms except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal certification of private healthcare workforce platforms and coordination with states to enable cross‑state emergency deployment of independent‑contractor clinicians, with liability protections and FTCA rules.
Authorizes the federal government to certify private “health care workforce platforms” and enter voluntary agreements with them to deploy credentialed independent-contractor health care workers during declared emergencies. The President may coordinate with states on temporary licensure waivers, issue model procedures, provide liability protections for workers and platforms acting under the authority (except for willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith), and treat covered private actors as federal employees for purposes of the Federal Tort Claims Act when acting under federal contract or direction. Requires an initial report to Congress within one year and annual reports thereafter on state licensure waivers used under the new authority, and directs the President to issue implementing regulations describing FTCA applicability and other procedures.
Official title: To permit the use of health care workforce platforms during declared emergencies, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 9, 2025 by David Rouzer · Last progress December 9, 2025