What This Bill Does
This bill allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide medical services to injured federal employees through the federal workers' compensation program. The bill updates federal law to recognize these healthcare providers as eligible to treat federal workers who suffer job-related injuries.
Who It Affects
Injured federal employees who need medical treatment for work-related injuries. Healthcare providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) who treat federal workers. The Secretary of Labor, who must write new rules to implement the changes.
Key Provisions
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are added as "other eligible providers" who can treat injured federal workers within the scope of their practice as defined by state law (Sec. 2(a)).
• All references to physicians in federal workers' compensation law are updated to also include "other eligible providers" (Sec. 2(b)).
• The Secretary of Labor must finalize new rules within 180 days after this law passes to put these changes into effect (Sec. 2(c)).
What Changes
Federal workers can now receive medical treatment from nurse practitioners and physician assistants for job-related injuries through workers' compensation. These providers can practice only within the limits set by their state's laws.
Important Definitions
"Other eligible provider" means a nurse practitioner or physician assistant working within the scope of their practice as defined by state law.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
Calendar No. 705
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 131
[Report No. 118–299]
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for purposes
of workers’ compensation under such chapter, services by physician as-
sistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured Federal workers,
and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 30, 2023
Mr. BROWN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. WARREN,
Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. HICKENLOOPER,
and Mr. MERKLEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs
DECEMBER 17 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024
Reported by Mr. PETERS, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to
cover, for purposes of workers’ compensation under such
chapter, services by physician assistants and nurse prac-
titioners provided to injured Federal workers, and for
other purposes.
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•S 131 RS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to
4
Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act
5
of 2023’’.
6
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE
7
PRACTITIONERS
IN
FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES’
8
COMPENSATION ACT.
9
(a) INCLUSION.—Section 8101 of title 5, United
10
States Code, is amended—
11
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, other eligi-
12
ble providers,’’ after ‘‘osteopathic practitioners’’;
13
(2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraphs
14
(18) and (19);
15
(3) by striking the period at the end of para-
16
graph (20) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
17
(4) by adding at the end the following:
18
‘‘(21) ‘other eligible provider’ means a nurse
19
practitioner or physician assistant within the scope
20
of their practice as defined by State law.’’.
21
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 81 of
22
title 5, United States Code, is amended—
23
(1) in section 8103(a)—
24
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•S 131 RS
(A) by inserting ‘‘or other eligible pro-
1
vider’’ after ‘‘physician’’ in each instance; and
2
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or
3
other eligible providers’’ after ‘‘physicians’’;
4
(2) in section 8121(6), by inserting ‘‘or other
5
eligible provider’’ after ‘‘physician’’; and
6
(3) in section 8123(a)—
7
(A) by inserting ‘‘or other eligible pro-
8
vider’’ after ‘‘The employee may have a physi-
9
cian’’; and
10
(B) by inserting ‘‘or other eligible pro-
11
vider’’ after ‘‘United States and the physician’’.
12
(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 6 months after
13
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall final-
14
ize rules to carry out the amendments made by this Act.
15
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
16
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
17
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010,
18
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement
19
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this
20
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record
21
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
22
vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the
23
vote on passage.
24
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•S 131 RS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to
2
Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act’’.
3
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE
4
PRACTITIONERS IN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’
5
COMPENSATION ACT.
6
(a) INCLUSION.—Section 8101 of title 5, United States
7
Code, is amended—
8
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, other eligi-
9
ble providers,’’ after ‘‘osteopathic practitioners’’;
10
(2) in paragraph (18), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
11
end;
12
(3) in paragraph (19), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
13
end;
14
(4) in paragraph (20), by striking the period at
15
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
16
(5) by adding at the end the following:
17
‘‘(21) ‘other eligible provider’ means a nurse
18
practitioner or physician assistant within the scope of
19
the practice of that individual as defined by State
20
law.’’.
21
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Subchapter I of
22
chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, is amended—
23
(1) in section 8103(a)—
24
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•S 131 RS
(A) by inserting ‘‘or other eligible provider’’
1
after ‘‘physician’’ each place that term appears;
2
and
3
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘(or
4
other eligible providers)’’ after ‘‘physicians’’;
5
(2) in section 8121(6), by inserting ‘‘or other eli-
6
gible provider’’ after ‘‘physician’’; and
7
(3) in section 8123(a)—
8
(A) in the second sentence, by inserting ‘‘or
9
other eligible provider’’ after ‘‘The employee may
10
have a physician’’; and
11
(B) in the third sentence, by inserting ‘‘or
12
other eligible provider’’ after ‘‘United States and
13
the physician’’.
14
(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the
15
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall
16
finalize rules to carry out the amendments made by this
17
Act.
18
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Calendar No. 705
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 131
[Report No. 118–299]
A BILL
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States
Code, to cover, for purposes of workers’ com-
pensation under such chapter, services by physi-
cian assistants and nurse practitioners provided
to injured Federal workers, and for other pur-
poses.
DECEMBER 17 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024
Reported with an amendment
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