[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8956 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8956

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act for the development and 
 implementation of a centralized system to credential licensed health 
 professionals who seek to provide health care services at any Indian 
                          Health Service unit.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 9, 2024

 Mr. Newhouse (for himself and Mr. Johnson of South Dakota) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act for the development and 
 implementation of a centralized system to credential licensed health 
 professionals who seek to provide health care services at any Indian 
                          Health Service unit.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Uniform Credentials for IHS 
Providers Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAL CREDENTIALING SYSTEM.

    Title I of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1611 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 125. MEDICAL CREDENTIALING SYSTEM.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Development and implementation timeline.--Not later 
        than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Uniform 
        Credentials for IHS Providers Act of 2024, the Secretary, 
        acting through the Service (referred to in this section as the 
        `Secretary'), in accordance with subsection (b), shall develop 
        and implement a Service-wide centralized credentialing system 
        (referred to in this section as the `credentialing system') to 
        credential licensed health professionals who seek to provide 
        health care services at any Service unit.
            ``(2) Implementation.--In implementing the credentialing 
        system, the Secretary--
                    ``(A) shall not require re-credentialing of 
                licensed health professionals who were credentialed 
                using existing Service policy prior to the date of 
                enactment of the Uniform Credentials for IHS Providers 
                Act of 2024; and
                    ``(B) shall--
                            ``(i) use the credentialing system for--
                                    ``(I) all applications for 
                                credentialing or re-credentialing of 
                                licensed health professionals submitted 
                                on or after the date of enactment of 
                                the Uniform Credentials for IHS 
                                Providers Act of 2024; and
                                    ``(II) the migration into the 
                                credentialing system of credentials 
                                data that existed prior to 
                                implementation of the credentialing 
                                system; and
                            ``(ii) maintain the established timeline 
                        for re-credentialing of licensed health 
                        professionals who were credentialed prior to 
                        implementation of the credentialing system, as 
                        defined by Service policy.
    ``(b) Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--In developing the credentialing system 
        under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that--
                    ``(A) credentialing procedures shall be uniform 
                throughout the Service; and
                    ``(B) with respect to each licensed health 
                professional who successfully completes the 
                credentialing procedures of the credentialing system, 
                the Secretary may authorize the licensed health 
                professional to provide health care services at any 
                Service unit.
            ``(2) Exemption.--The requirements described in paragraph 
        (1) shall not apply to licensed health professionals who were 
        credentialed using existing Service policy prior to the date of 
        enactment of the Uniform Credentials for IHS Providers Act of 
        2024 until the date on which those licensed health 
        professionals are required to be re-credentialed in accordance 
        with the credentialing system developed and implemented under 
        subsection (a).
    ``(c) Consultation.--In developing the credentialing system under 
subsection (a), the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall consult with Indian tribes; and
            ``(2) may consult with--
                    ``(A) any public or private association of medical 
                providers;
                    ``(B) any government agency; or
                    ``(C) any other relevant expert, as determined by 
                the Secretary.
    ``(d) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a licensed 
        health care professional may not provide health care services 
        at any Service unit, unless the licensed health care 
        professional successfully completes the credentialing 
        procedures of the credentialing system developed and 
        implemented under subsection (a).
            ``(2) Exemption.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to licensed 
        health professionals who were credentialed using existing 
        Service policy prior to the date of enactment of the Uniform 
        Credentials for IHS Providers Act of 2024 until the date on 
        which those licensed health professionals are required to be 
        re-credentialed in accordance with the credentialing system 
        developed and implemented under subsection (a).
    ``(e) Nonduplication of Efforts.--
            ``(1) In general.--To the extent that prior to the deadline 
        described in subsection (a)(1), the Service has begun 
        implementing or has completed implementation of a medical 
        credentialing system that otherwise meets the requirements of 
        this section, the Service shall not be required to establish a 
        new credentialing system under this section.
            ``(2) Authority.--The Service may expand or enhance an 
        existing credentialing system to meet the requirements of this 
        section.
            ``(3) Review.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not less frequently than once 
                every 5 years, the Service shall--
                            ``(i) undertake a formal review of the 
                        credentialing system in effect on the date of 
                        the review; and
                            ``(ii) if necessary, take action to bring 
                        the credentialing system into compliance with 
                        the requirements of this section.
                    ``(B) Consultation.--Each formal review conducted 
                under subparagraph (A) shall be subject to the 
                consultation requirements under subsection (c).
    ``(f) Effect.--Nothing in this section--
            ``(1) negatively impacts the right of an Indian tribe to 
        enter into a compact or contract under the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et 
        seq.); or
            ``(2) applies to such a compact or contract unless 
        expressly agreed to by the Indian tribe.''.
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