Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
The Strategic Teams for Organized Response Mobilization Act (STORM Act) amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to integrate private health care workforce platforms into emergency response efforts. This legislation defines a "health care workforce platform" as a private technology entity that partners with credentialed independent contractor health care workers and can facilitate surge capacity during emergencies. The President is authorized to certify these platforms and enter into voluntary agreements, lasting at least one year, to utilize their services during declared emergencies. A key provision allows the President to coordinate with states to facilitate waivers of state licensure requirements for out-of-state independent contractor health care workers deployed through these certified platforms. These waivers are contingent on the workers being licensed in at least one state and their services being used for emergency response. The President must establish model procedures and criteria for these waivers, ensuring qualifications, background checks, and expedited deployment while coordinating with state authorities. The bill provides significant liability protections for independent contractor health care workers and health care workforce platforms engaged in authorized activities, exempting them from liability for injury or damage unless there is willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith. Furthermore, for federally-declared emergencies where the President determines federal responsibility, these private entities acting under federal contract or direction are deemed federal employees for Federal Tort Claims Act purposes. The President is also required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the use of state licensure waivers, including deployment numbers and any challenges encountered.
The Strategic Teams for Organized Response Mobilization Act (STORM Act) amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to integrate private health care workforce platforms into emergency response efforts. This legislation defines a "health care workforce platform" as a private technology entity that partners with credentialed independent contractor health care workers and can facilitate surge capacity during emergencies. The President is authorized to certify these platforms and enter into voluntary agreements, lasting at least one year, to utilize their services during declared emergencies. A key provision allows the President to coordinate with states to facilitate waivers of state licensure requirements for out-of-state independent contractor health care workers deployed through these certified platforms. These waivers are contingent on the workers being licensed in at least one state and their services being used for emergency response. The President must establish model procedures and criteria for these waivers, ensuring qualifications, background checks, and expedited deployment while coordinating with state authorities. The bill provides significant liability protections for independent contractor health care workers and health care workforce platforms engaged in authorized activities, exempting them from liability for injury or damage unless there is willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith. Furthermore, for federally-declared emergencies where the President determines federal responsibility, these private entities acting under federal contract or direction are deemed federal employees for Federal Tort Claims Act purposes. The President is also required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the use of state licensure waivers, including deployment numbers and any challenges encountered.