Bill > HR2703

This bill, titled the Family Health Care Accessibility Act of 2013, aims to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide liability protections for health professionals who volunteer their services at community health centers, which are entities described in section 330 of the Act. Essentially, if a licensed or certified health care practitioner provides services at a qualifying health center or through its programs, does not receive payment for those services (except for reimbursement of reasonable expenses), and proper notice of liability limitations is given, they will be considered an employee of the Public Health Service for liability purposes. This means they would be protected from lawsuits related to their volunteer work, similar to how existing employees of these centers are protected. The bill outlines specific conditions for a practitioner to be considered a volunteer, including the health center sponsoring them and the Secretary of Health and Human Services deeming them eligible. It also establishes a process for estimating potential claims and transferring funds to cover them, with the protections taking effect on October 1, 2014, though some preliminary actions like issuing regulations can begin sooner.