15 U.S.C. § 8601 — Protections for covered sports medicine professionals

(a) In general. Take a "covered sports medicine professional" who has medical professional liability insurance and, under a written agreement described in subsection (c)(4), provides covered medical services in a "secondary State" to an athlete, athletic team, or their staff member — services that are within what that professional is licensed to do in their "primary State." Then: (1) that professional's liability insurance covers those services in the secondary State (subject to possible premium adjustments) just as if the services were provided in the primary State; and (2) as long as the professional is licensed to provide those services in the primary State, they're treated as meeting the secondary State's licensing requirements too — but only to the extent the two states' licensing requirements are "substantially similar." (b) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section lets a covered sports medicine professional (1) provide services in the secondary State beyond what their primary-State license allows, or (2) provide services beyond what a substantially similar secondary-State license would allow. It also doesn't override (3) any existing reciprocity agreement between the two states, (4) any interstate compact between the two states, or (5) any licensure exemption the secondary State already gives to professionals licensed in the primary State. (c) Definitions. In this chapter: (1) Athlete means (A) someone who may be paid to take part in a sporting event or activity, (B) someone taking part in a sporting event sponsored or sanctioned by a national governing body, or (C) someone for whom a high school or college provides a covered sports medicine professional. (2) Athletic team means a sports team that is (A) made up of paid participants, (B) taking part in an event sponsored or sanctioned by a national governing body, or (C) provided a covered sports medicine professional by a high school or college. (3) Covered medical services means general medical care, emergency medical care, athletic training, or physical therapy — but not care given at a health care facility, or care given while a licensed secondary-State provider is transporting the injured person to a health care facility. (4) Covered sports medicine professional means a physician, athletic trainer, or other health care professional who (A) is licensed in the primary State, (B) provides covered medical services under a written agreement with an athlete, team, national governing body, high school, or college, and (C) has told their liability insurer in the primary State about the nature and extent of those services before providing them. (5) Health care facility means a place providing inpatient or outpatient medical care, diagnosis, or treatment — but not a facility at an arena, stadium, or practice site, or a temporary facility set up for a competition. (6) Institution of higher education has the meaning given in section 1001 of title 20. (7) License or licensure, for a covered sports medicine professional, means having met the requirements to provide covered medical services under the primary State's laws — this can include registration, certification, or other special recognition. (8) National governing body has the meaning given in section 220501 of title 36. (9) Primary State means the state where the professional (A) is licensed to practice, and (B) has most of their practice covered by malpractice insurance. (10) Secondary State means any state that isn't the primary State. (11) State means each of the states, the District of Columbia, and each U.S. commonwealth, territory, or possession. (12) Substantially similar, for licensing between a primary and secondary State, means both states have some form of licensing that lets the professional provide covered medical services.