§ 58-2-805 — Qualification as a volunteer health practitioner registration system

(a) To qualify as a volunteer health practitioner registration system, a system must: (1) Accept applications for the registration of volunteer health practitioners before or during an emergency; (2) Include information about the licensure and good standing of health practitioners that is accessible by authorized persons; (3) Be capable of confirming the accuracy of information concerning whether a health practitioner is licensed and in good standing before health services are provided under this part; and (4) Meet one (1) of the following conditions: (A) Be an emergency system for advance registration of volunteer healthcare practitioners established by a state and funded through the health resources services administration under § 319I of the Public Health Services Act ( 42 U.S.C. § 247d-7b ); (B) Be a local unit consisting of trained and equipped emergency response, public health, and medical personnel formed pursuant to § 2801 of the Public Health Services Act ( 42 U.S.C. § 300hh ); (C) Be operated by a: (i) Disaster relief organization; (ii) Licensing board; (iii) National or regional association of licensing boards of health practitioners; (iv) Health facility that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient health-care services, including a tertiary care, acute care and/or teaching hospital; or (v) Governmental entity; or (D) Be designated by TEMA as a registration system for purposes of this part. (b) While an emergency declaration is in effect, representatives of TEMA, a person authorized to act on behalf of TEMA, or a host entity may confirm whether volunteer health practitioners utilized in this state are registered with a registration system that complies with subsection (a). Confirmation is limited to obtaining identities of the practitioners from the system and determining whether the system indicates that the practitioners are licensed and in good standing. (c) Upon request of a person in this state authorized under subsection (b), or a similarly authorized person in another state, a registration system located in this state shall notify the person of the identities of volunteer health practitioners and whether the practitioners are licensed and in good standing. (d) A host entity is not required to use the services of a volunteer health practitioner, even if the practitioner is registered with a registration system that indicates that the practitioner is licensed and in good standing.

Legislative History

Acts 2007 , ch. 579, § 6.