---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2350p"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2350p"
heading: "Reciprocal patient movement agreements"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2350p"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 138 — Cooperative Agreements with Nato Allies and Other Countries"
  - "Subchapter II — Other Cooperative Agreements"
---

# §2350p. Reciprocal patient movement agreements

- (a) **Authority.—** Subject to the availability of appropriations, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, may enter into a bilateral or multilateral memorandum of understanding or other formal agreement with one or more governments of partner countries that provides for—
  - (1) the interchangeable, nonreimbursable use of patient movement personnel, either individually or as members of a patient movement crew or team, and equipment, belonging to one partner country to perform patient movement services aboard the aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of another partner country;
  - (2) the reciprocal recognition and acceptance of —
    - (A) national professional credentials, certifications, and licenses of patient movement personnel; and
    - (B) national certifications, approvals, and licenses of equipment used in the provision of patient movement services; and
  - (3) the acceptance of agreed-upon [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) for the provision of patient movement services by aircraft, vessel, or vehicle, including, as determined to be beneficial and otherwise permitted by law, the harmonization of patient treatment [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) and procedures.
- (b) **Certification.—**
  - (1) Before entering into a memorandum of understanding or other formal agreement with the government of a partner country under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall certify in writing that the professional credentials, certifications, licenses, and approvals for patient movement personnel and patient movement equipment of the partner country—
    - (A) meet or exceed the equivalent [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) for similar personnel and equipment; and
    - (B) will provide for a level of care comparable to, or better than, the level of care provided by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
  - (2) A certification under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall be—
    - (A) submitted to the [appropriate committees of Congress](/usc/10/301.md?p=1) not later than 15 days after the date on which the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense makes the certification; and
    - (B) reviewed and recertified by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense not less frequently than annually.
- (c) **Suspension.—** If the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense is unable to recertify a partner country as required by [subsection (b)(2)(B)](#b-2-B), use of the personnel or equipment of the partner country by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense under a memorandum of understanding or other formal agreement concluded pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) shall be suspended until the date on which the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense is able to recertify the partner country.
- (d) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) **Appropriate committees of congress.—** The term “[appropriate committees of Congress](/usc/10/301.md?p=1)” means—
    - (A) the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16); and
    - (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
  - (2) **Partner country.—** The term “partner country” means any of the following:
    - (A) A member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
    - (B) Australia.
    - (C) Japan.
    - (D) New Zealand.
    - (E) The Republic of Korea.
    - (F) Any other country designated as a partner country by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, for purposes of this section.
  - (3) **Patient movement.—** The term “patient movement” means the act or process of moving wounded, ill, injured, or other [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) (including contaminated, contagious, and potentially exposed patients) to obtain medical, surgical, mental health, or dental care or treatment.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1204(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3911.)