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More Legal Protection for Volunteer Healthcare Workers During Disasters

This law aims to encourage healthcare professionals to volunteer their services during disasters and emergencies. It provides them with increased legal protection from lawsuits for actions taken in good faith within their scope of practice. This could mean more medical help is available to citizens when they need it most during a crisis.
Key points
Healthcare professionals volunteering during declared disasters (like national emergencies or public health crises) will have limited legal responsibility for their actions.
Protection applies to actions taken in good faith, within their professional qualifications, and in the disaster-affected area.
Protection does not cover willful misconduct, gross negligence, reckless behavior, or acting under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The law overrides state laws if they offer less protection, but state laws offering more protection still apply.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_HR_5239
Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Process start date: 2021-09-10
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2021

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_HR_5239.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-09-10.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Healthcare professionals volunteering during declared disasters (like national emergencies or public health crises) will have limited legal responsibility for their actions.
  • Protection applies to actions taken in good faith, within their professional qualifications, and in the disaster-affected area.
  • Protection does not cover willful misconduct, gross negligence, reckless behavior, or acting under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • The law overrides state laws if they offer less protection, but state laws offering more protection still apply.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-28.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Health Courts and Law