VotedBy VotedBy ⌕
Election Day · Tue, Nov 3See how your members of Congress voted →

S. 1475 · 114th Congress

Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act

Key: what the circles and colors mean

Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:

IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.

Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.

Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 114th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

1 cosponsor · 1 R

1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

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) allege adherence to applicable clinical practice guidelines.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jun 2, 2015

Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act

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) allege adherence to applicable clinical practice guidelines.

Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish clinical practice guidelines provided and maintained by national or state medical societies or medical specialty societies designated by HHS. Sets forth standards for the development of guidelines, including standards related to transparency, the composition of the panel, and the review of existing evidence. Prohibits holding a professional organization or a participant in guideline development liable for injury allegedly caused by adherence to a guideline to which they contributed.

Declares that this Act 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 Act; (2) any state or federal law that creates a cause of action; or (3) any defenses otherwise available.

Gives jurisdiction of health care liability actions against health care professionsals, providers, or organizations to district courts. Allows a defendant to remove any health care liability action brought in a state court to a district court.

Requires an independent medical review in health care liability actions that have been removed to a district court if the eligible professionals allege that they adhered to applicable clinical practice guidelines. Sets forth procedures for the use of the panel's findings at trial.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act

Latest action (Jun 8, 2015): Committee on the Budget. Hearings held in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 2, 2015

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.