SUBJECT: S. 1350, The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2019
Dear Senators Cassidy and King:
On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons (CNS), we are pleased to support S. 1350, the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2019,
and extend our offer to help advance this important legislation.
As you know, your bill is designed to provide liability protections to health professionals, including physicians,
who volunteer to assist victims of federally-declared disasters. Swift and timely medical response in a disaster
can significantly decrease the loss of life and improve outcomes for patients who desperately need care.
While neurosurgeons have a long history of stepping forward to assist disaster victims, medical volunteers are
often turned away due to inconsistent Good Samaritan laws, as well as confusion and uncertainty about the
application of these laws. Sadly, this lack of uniformity has hindered the ability of volunteer health
professionals to provide care, and in many cases, physicians could not provide these critical services — even
if they wanted to — due to lack of liability protections. Your legislation will help ensure that neurosurgeons
who volunteer their services in future disasters will not face similar uncertainties, thereby allowing them to
focus on providing aid to victims.
We applaud you for introducing the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2019 and thank you for your
leadership in recognizing the need for a federal solution to ensure protection for volunteer health
professionals. We look forward to working with you to move this important bill forward
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