Brett Guthrie: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Tonight, millions of Americans, including myself, will tune in to the College…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Tonight, millions of Americans, including myself, will tune in to the College Football Playoff National Championship between the University of Alabama and Clemson University. As with any college or professional competition, both teams will have healthcare practitioners traveling with them to the game. Unfortunately, many States do not provide legal protection for sports medicine practitioners who travel with these athletes since they are not licensed to practice medicine in the secondary State. The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, which I introduced with Mr. Richmond of Louisiana, would ensure that sports medicine professionals can provide high-quality and timely health care to athletes without having to worry about potential liability when traveling across State lines with their teams. The nature of sports medicine professionals' jobs require them to frequently travel between States so that athletes can receive proper care the moment they are injured. However, providers are at great personal and professional risk because medical liability insurance does not cover costs for lawsuits related to care provided in States in which they are not licensed. It is not a reasonable solution to require practitioners to become licensed in every State where their teams will play during a given season. This came to my attention, and I talked to a friend of mine who is an emergency room physician in Auburn, Alabama.…”