Qualifications of a volunteer health practitioner registration system; confirmation of volunteer health practitioners used in Indiana; notification; host entity not required to use services

Sec. 18. (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 or veterinary services are provided under this chapter; and

(4) meet one (1) of the following conditions:

(A) Be an emergency system for advance registration of volunteer health practitioners established by a state and funded through the Health Resources Services Administration under section 319I of the federal 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 under section 2801 of the federal 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 or health practitioners;

(iv) health facility that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient health care services, including a tertiary care and teaching hospital; or

(v) governmental entity.

(D) Be designated by the department of homeland security as a registration system for purposes of this chapter.

(b) While an emergency declaration is in effect, the department of homeland security, a person authorized to act on behalf of the department of homeland security, or a host entity may confirm whether volunteer health practitioners used in Indiana 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 Indiana authorized under subsection (b), or a similarly authorized person in another state, a registration system located in Indiana 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.

As added by P.L.134-2008, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.1-2009, SEC.95.