14 USC § 508 - Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t14/s508"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "14 USC § 508 - Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability"
title_number: 14
title_name: "COAST GUARD"
section_number: "508"
section_name: "Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability"
chapter_number: 5
chapter_name: "FUNCTIONS AND POWERS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL POWERS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 115–282, title III, § 305(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4245.)"
---


# § 508. Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability

**(a)** **In General.—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding the licensure of health-care providers, a health-care professional described in subsection (b) may practice the health profession or professions of the health-care professional at any location in any State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, regardless of where such health-care professional or the patient is located, if the practice is within the scope of the authorized Federal duties of such health-care professional.

**(b)** **Described Individuals.—** A health-care professional described in this subsection is an individual—

**(1)** who is—

**(A)** a member of the Coast Guard;

**(B)** a civilian employee of the Coast Guard;

**(C)** a member of the Public Health Service who is assigned to the Coast Guard; or

**(D)** any other health-care professional credentialed and privileged at a Federal health-care institution or location specially designated by the Secretary; and

**(2)** who—

**(A)** has a current license to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another health profession; and

**(B)** is performing authorized duties for the Coast Guard.

**(c)** **Definitions.—** In this section, the terms “license” and “health-care professional” have the meanings given those terms in section 1094(e) of title 10.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 115–282, title III, § 305(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4245.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 508 was renumbered .