I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4900 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a national telehealth 

program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 29, 2019 

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and 

Means, 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 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a 

national telehealth program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Telehealth Across 

5 State Lines Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL TELEHEALTH PROGRAM. 

2 Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health 

3 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding 

4 at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 330N. NATIONAL TELEHEALTH PROGRAM. 

6 ‘‘(a) UNIFORM NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in con8 sultation with a range of stakeholders including the 

9 entities listed in paragraph (3), issue guidance on 

10 uniform best practices for the provision of telehealth 

11 across State lines. 

12 ‘‘(2) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the best 

13 practices issued under paragraph (1) shall be to, not 

14 later than 5 years after the date of enactment of 

15 this section, provide high-quality telehealth in rural 

16 areas across the United States. 

17 ‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—The entities listed in 

18 this paragraph include— 

19 ‘‘(A) technology experts; 

20 ‘‘(B) data security experts; 

21 ‘‘(C) primary care providers; 

22 ‘‘(D) specialist providers; 

23 ‘‘(E) mental health providers; 

24 ‘‘(F) academic medical centers; 


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1 ‘‘(G) Federally qualified health centers, as 

2 defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Secu3 rity Act; 

4 ‘‘(H) State, local, or tribal health depart5 ments; 

6 ‘‘(I) critical access hospitals; and 

7 ‘‘(J) any Federal agency with expertise in 

8 the provision of telecommunications or tele9 health. 

10 ‘‘(4) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall, not less 

11 than once every year beginning 1 year after the date 

12 of enactment of this section and ending on the date 

13 on which the guidance under paragraph (1) is 

14 issued, report to the Committee on Health, Edu15 cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 

16 Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

17 of Representatives on the progress of such guidance. 

18 ‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall for 

20 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 award 

21 grants to eligible entities described in paragraph (2) 

22 for the expansion of telehealth programs to rural 

23 areas. 

24 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—To be eligible to re25 ceive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall— 


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1 ‘‘(A) demonstrate that it is operating, on 

2 the date on which the entity submits an appli3 cation under subparagraph (B), an effective 

4 telehealth program (as determined in accord5 ance with criteria established by the Secretary); 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(B) submit an application to the Sec8 retary at such time, in such manner, and con9 taining such information as the Secretary may 

10 reasonably require, including a plan to expand 

11 the telehealth program operated by the entity to 

12 rural areas. 

13 ‘‘(3) STUDY.—Not later than 3 years after the 

14 date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 

15 shall— 

16 ‘‘(A) complete a study on the grant pro17 gram under this subsection, including the suc18 cesses and challenges of the program, lessons 

19 the Secretary has learned with respect to the 

20 program, and best practices for telehealth pro21 grams; and 

22 ‘‘(B) submit a report on such study to the 

23 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

24 Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 


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1 Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep2 resentatives. 

3 ‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

4 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

5 this subsection, $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

6 2020 through 2024. 

7 ‘‘(c) DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA.—In this section, 

8 the term ‘rural area’ has the meaning given the term in 

9 section 330J(e).’’. 

10 SEC. 3. CENTER FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID INNOVA11 TION (CMMI) MODEL TO INCENTIVIZE THE 

12 ADOPTION OF TELEHEALTH IN ORDER TO IN13 CREASE ACCESS TO CARE IN RURAL AREAS. 

14 Section 1115A(b)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act 

15 (42 U.S.C. 1395a(b)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the 

16 end the following new clause: 

17 ‘‘(xxviii) Providing incentives under 

18 title XVIII to encourage the adoption of 

19 telehealth in order to increase access to 

20 care in rural areas.’’. 

Æ 


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