Today, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced Congressman Burgess Owens’ (UT-04) Reinforcing Underserved, Rural, and Local (RURAL) Healthcare Act, H.R. 8347, during full committee markup. The bill protects the independent contractor status of locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners under the Fair Labor Standards Act, guarding against staffing lapses in rural and underserved communities.
The Latin term locum tenens means “to hold the place,” referring to clinicians who provide temporary medical services in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. This short-term staffing plays a critical role in maintaining continuity of care for Americans who may live long distances from hospitals or clinics.
“I’m grateful that today the Education and Workforce Committee passed my RURAL Healthcare Act. Ensuring that the physicians and advanced practitioners who go out of their way to ensure rural communities have reliable access to healthcare aren’t bogged down in needless red tape and regulatory uncertainty. ”
Rep. Burgess Owens
