A. To qualify as a volunteer health practitioner registration system, a system shall:

(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 or veterinary services are provided pursuant to the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act; and

(4) meet one of the following conditions:

(a) be an emergency system for advance registration of volunteer health care practitioners established by a state and funded through the health resources services administration pursuant to Section 319I of the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 247d-7b, as amended;

(b) be a local unit consisting of trained and equipped emergency response, public health and medical personnel formed pursuant to Section 2801 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 300hh, as amended;

(c) be operated by a: 1) disaster relief organization; 2) licensing board; 3) national or regional association of licensing boards or health practitioners; 4) health facility that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient health care services, including a tertiary care and teaching hospital; or 5) governmental entity; or

(d) be designated by the homeland security and emergency management department as a registration system for purposes of the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.

B. While an emergency declaration is in effect, the homeland security and emergency management department, a person authorized to act on behalf of the homeland security and emergency management department or a host entity may confirm whether volunteer health practitioners used in this state are registered with a registration system that complies with Subsection A of this section. Confirmation is limited to obtaining identities of the volunteer health practitioners from the system and determining whether the system indicates that the volunteer health practitioners are licensed and in good standing.

C. Upon request of a person in this state authorized pursuant to Subsection B of this section 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 volunteer health 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 volunteer health practitioner is registered with a registration system that indicates that the volunteer health practitioner is licensed and in good standing.

History: Laws 2008, ch. 47, § 5.

Effective dates. — Laws 2008, ch. 47, § 14 made the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act effective July 1, 2008.