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An Act To Facilitate the Hiring of Health Care Personnel during Emergency Circumstances
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §816, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:
 
1-A.   Health care workforce.     A private institution is immune from civil penalties and liability for any actions arising from allegations of inadequate investigation prior to that institution’s hiring or engagement of a licensed health care worker, including but not limited to allegations of negligent hiring, credentialing or privileging, for services provided within the scope of that health care worker’s licensure in response to an extreme public health emergency as defined in section 801, subsection 4-A or a disaster as defined in Title 37-B, section 703, subsection 2 as long as the private institution hires or engages the services of the licensed health care worker in accordance with this subsection. When hiring or engaging the services of a health care worker: 
 
A.   The private institution shall first make a reasonable attempt to contact the appropriate occupational or professional licensing board within or affiliated with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation for any available information about that health care worker; and 
 
B.  A private institution may rely on:
 
(1) Information available from the occupational and professional licensing boards within or affiliated with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation regarding appropriate screening of the worker, such as background investigation, primary source verification or credentialing;
 
(2) The representation of a volunteer health care worker registry that is operated or certified in accordance with federal or state requirements regarding appropriate screening of the worker that is registered on that registry, such as background investigation, primary source verification or credentialing;
 
(3) The representation of the employing or privileging entity regarding appropriate screening of the worker that, at the time of hiring or engagement, is employed or privileged by any entity in any state, such as background investigation, primary source verification, credentialing or privileging; or
 
(4) The representation of a retired or unemployed worker’s most recent employer or privileging entity if that employment or privileging occurred within the previous 24 months.
 
A private institution that complies with this subsection may hire or engage the services of a licensed health care worker and is deemed in compliance with all state licensing standards. The private institution shall initiate the standard preemployment screening process within 48 hours of the official termination of the extreme public health emergency as defined in section 801, subsection 4-A or disaster as defined in Title 37-B, section 703, subsection 2.
Sec. 2. 37-B MRSA §784-A,  as enacted by PL 2001, c. 614, §18, is amended to read:
§ 784-A.  Right to call for and employ assistance
The Maine Emergency Management Agency and local organizations for emergency management may employ any person considered necessary to assist with emergency management activities. All persons called and employed for assistance shall proceed as directed by the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Any person called and employed for assistance is deemed to be an employee of the State for purposes of immunity from liability pursuant to section 822 and for purposes of workers’ compensation insurance pursuant to section 823, except for persons excluded from the definition of employee pursuant to Title 39-A, section 102, subsection 11. A health care worker licensed in this State, either designated by the Maine Emergency Management Agency to perform emergency management or health activities in this State in a declared disaster or civil emergency pursuant to section 742 or designated by the Maine Emergency Management Agency to render aid in another state under chapter 16, is deemed to be an employee of the State for purposes of immunity from liability pursuant to this section and section 926 and for purposes of workers’ compensation insurance pursuant to sections 823 and 928, except for persons excluded from the definition of employee pursuant to Title 39-A, section 102, subsection 11.