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Senate backs moving forward on volunteer health practitioners bill after Katrina lessons
Summary
Senators broadly supported SB 66, a Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, which would streamline credential verification for out‑of‑state volunteers, extend Good Samaritan immunity, optionally cover workers' compensation and improve interagency coordination based on Katrina experiences.
Senator Hilliard spoke at length about SB 66, describing it as a response to the coordination problems seen after Hurricane Katrina. "This bill really does four things," Hilliard said, listing expedited credential verification for volunteers, Good Samaritan immunity that covers modest in‑kind payments, optional workers' compensation coverage, and new mechanisms for interagency coordination so volunteers can respond across state lines.
Hilliard recounted that local and state public health officials, and county health staff, worked together in drafting the bill and that the measure mirrors a Uniform Law Commission model adopted in several other states. He said a number of technical amendments would be filed on third reading but stressed the bill's practical purpose: "if the bill accomplishes nothing more than bringing these groups together to talk through how should we handle this, I accomplished a great deal."
Supporters compared the proposal to existing interstate compacts for nurses, and argued the bill would remove bureaucratic obstacles that slow emergency response. The sponsor said the bill has buy‑in from health department staff and local public health officials, and noted Colorado had adopted a similar law.
On procedure, the Senate moved to have SB 66 read for the third time; the clerk recorded 22 yes votes, 0 nay votes and 7 absent. Senator Hilliard said he would offer minor technical amendments on third reading.
