The RURAL Healthcare Act would classify temporary doctors and advanced care practitioners as independent contractors rather than employees under federal labor laws. Specifically, the bill exempts qualified locum tenens professionals and advanced care practitioners—including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists—from coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act. These workers would qualify for independent contractor status if they work on a temporary basis for no more than one continuous year at a single location and have a written contract stating they will not be treated as employees. The bill affects healthcare facilities that use temporary medical staffing and the temporary medical professionals they hire. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are specified in the legislation.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.