Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
Latest action · Mar 31, 2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 16, 2017
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
This bill establishes a framework for health care liability lawsuits to undergo review by independent medical review panels if health care professionals (practicing physicians or their agents or employees), providers, or organizations allege adherence to clinical practice guidelines.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must publish clinical practice guidelines provided and maintained by national or state medical societies or medical specialty societies designated by HHS. HHS must ensure that guidelines are developed in accordance with certain standards, including standards related to transparency, the composition of the panel, and the review of existing evidence. Professional organizations and participants in guideline development may not be held liable for injury allegedly caused by adherence to a guideline to which they contributed.
The bill does not preempt: (1) any state or federal law that imposes greater procedural or substantive protections for health care providers and health care organizations from liability, loss, or damages than those provided under this bill; (2) any state or federal law that creates a cause of action; or (3) any defenses otherwise available.
The bill gives district courts jurisdiction over health care liability actions against health care professionals, providers, or organizations practicing within clinical practice guidelines. Defendants may remove health care liability actions brought in a state court to a district court.
Cosponsors 33
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 16, 2017 to Jul 18, 2018; 12 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-UT | Chris Stewart | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-TN | David P. Roe | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-NC | David Rouzer | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-GA | Earl L. "Buddy" Carter | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| D-TX | Henry Cuellar | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-MI | John R. Moolenaar | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-FL | Neal P. Dunn | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-GA | Rick W. Allen | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-NC | Robert Pittenger | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-MS | Steven M. Palazzo | Original | Mar 16, 2017 |
| R-GA | A. Drew Ferguson IV | Mar 29, 2017 | |
| R-WV | David B. McKinley | Mar 29, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Pete Olson | Mar 29, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Steve Stivers | Mar 29, 2017 | |
| R-CA | Darrell Issa | Apr 27, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Brad R. Wenstrup | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-NY | Claudia Tenney | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-FL | Dennis A. Ross | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-AK | Don Young | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-KS | Kevin Yoder | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Pete Sessions | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-TN | Scott DesJarlais | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-IN | Todd Rokita | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-AZ | Trent Franks | Apr 28, 2017 | |
| R-VA | Scott Taylor | May 1, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Mark Walker | May 11, 2017 | |
| R-OH | James B. Renacci | May 17, 2017 | |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Jul 20, 2017 | |
| R-CO | Mike Coffman | Sep 6, 2017 | |
| R-MD | Andy Harris | Jul 18, 2018 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Mar 16, 2017 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Mar 17, 2017 | |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Mar 16, 2017 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Mar 31, 2017 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 31, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Mar 17, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Mar 16, 2017Introduced in House
- Mar 16, 2017Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 46, March 16, 2017, page H2149.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 277 | American Health Care Reform Act of 2017 | Related bill | Feb 10, 2017 |
| HR 2603 | Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act | Reintroduction of | Jun 16, 2015 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for the creation of a safe harbor for defendants in medical malpractice actions who demonstrate adherence to clinical practice guidelines.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 16, 2017Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
