U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined several colleagues to introduce a bipartisan bill that would limit the liability of healthcare professionals who volunteer to provide healthcare services in response to a disaster.
“After disasters like Hurricane Katrina, Laura and Ida, recovery depends on the volunteers and medical professionals who selflessly come to Louisiana to help those in need,” Sen. Cassidy said. “The least we can do in return is provide needed legal protections while they aid disaster victims.”
The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2021, S. 2941, which Sen. Cassidy sponsored on Oct. 6 with eight original cosponsors, including Sen. Blackburn and U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), is the Senate version of the same-named H.R. 5239, introduced on Sept. 10 by U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Tennesseans are no stranger to natural disasters, but the quick recovery of the Volunteer State is the result of servant-hearted leaders supporting their neighbors in need,” said Sen. Blackburn. “This legislation is critical to protecting our volunteer community in Tennessee and across the nation.”
Sen. Murkowski pointed out that when disaster strikes, volunteers regularly step into action to help those in need. “Obstacles like a lack of civil liability protections are the last thing providers volunteering to respond need to worry about,” she said. “This bill protects physicians who step into action and help those in need during times of disaster.”
If enacted, the bill would amend the Public Health Service Act and would only apply to licensed medical providers, according to the text of the bill, and would not protect against litigation if the damage was done in a deliberate or criminal manner.
“Mississippians have a long history of standing with their fellow citizens in times of crisis,” added Sen. Wicker. “This bill would extend legal protections to healthcare professionals who volunteer and help our nation be more resilient in the face of natural disasters.”
Sens. Cassidy and Blackburn originally introduced the legislation in March 2020 during the previous Congress.