115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 925 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 

ability of health care professionals to treat veterans 

through the use of telemedicine, 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, 
2 

†S 925 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans E-Health and 

3 Telemedicine Support Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘VETS Act 

4 of 2017’’. 

5 SEC. 2. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF 

6 THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

7 PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 

9 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1730A 

10 the following new section: 

11 ‘‘§ 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals pro12 viding treatment via telemedicine 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision 

14 of law regarding the licensure of health care professionals, 

15 a covered health care professional may practice the health 

16 care profession of the health care professional at any loca17 tion in any State, regardless of where the covered health 

18 care professional or the patient is located, if the covered 

19 health care professional is using telemedicine to provide 

20 treatment to an individual under this chapter. 

21 ‘‘(b) COVERED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.— 

22 For purposes of this section, a covered health care profes23 sional is any health care professional who— 

24 ‘‘(1) is an employee of the Department ap25 pointed under the authority under section 7306, 

26 7401, 7405, 7406, or 7408 of this title or title 5; 
3 

†S 925 ES

1 ‘‘(2) is authorized by the Secretary to provide 

2 health care under this chapter; 

3 ‘‘(3) is required to adhere to all standards of 

4 quality relating to the provision of medicine in ac5 cordance with applicable policies of the Department; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(4) has an active, current, full, and unre8 stricted license, registration, or certification in a 

9 State to practice the health care profession of the 

10 health care professional. 

11 ‘‘(c) PROPERTY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.—Sub12 section (a) shall apply to a covered health care professional 

13 providing treatment to a patient regardless of whether the 

14 covered health care professional or patient is located in 

15 a facility owned by the Federal Government during such 

16 treatment. 

17 ‘‘(d) RELATION TO STATE LAW.—(1) The provisions 

18 of this section shall supersede any provisions of the law 

19 of any State to the extent that such provision of State 

20 law are inconsistent with this section. 

21 ‘‘(2) No State shall deny or revoke the license, reg22 istration, or certification of a covered health care profes23 sional who otherwise meets the qualifications of the State 

24 for holding the license, registration, or certification on the 

25 basis that the covered health care professional has en-
4 

†S 925 ES

1 gaged or intends to engage in activity covered by sub2 section (a). 

3 ‘‘(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec4 tion may be construed to remove, limit, or otherwise affect 

5 any obligation of a covered health care professional under 

6 the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.).’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 

9 by inserting after the item relating to section 1730A the 

10 following new item: 

‘‘1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing treatment via telemedicine.’’. 

11 (c) REPORT ON TELEMEDICINE.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

13 after the earlier of the date on which services pro14 vided under section 1730B of title 38, United States 

15 Code, as added by subsection (a), first occur or reg16 ulations are promulgated to carry out such section, 

17 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 

18 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

19 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

20 Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the 

21 use of telemedicine by the Department of Veterans 

22 Affairs. 
5 

†S 925 ES

1 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para2 graph (1) shall include an assessment of the fol3 lowing: 

4 (A) The satisfaction of veterans with tele5 medicine furnished by the Department. 

6 (B) The satisfaction of health care pro7 viders in providing telemedicine furnished by 

8 the Department. 

9 (C) The effect of telemedicine furnished by 

10 the Department on the following: 

11 (i) The ability of veterans to access 

12 health care, whether from the Department 

13 or from non-Department health care pro14 viders. 

15 (ii) The frequency of use by veterans 

16 of telemedicine. 

17 (iii) The productivity of health care 

18 providers. 

19 (iv) Wait times for an appointment 

20 for the receipt of health care from the De21 partment. 

22 (v) The use by veterans of in-person 

23 services at Department facilities and non24 Department facilities. 
6 

†S 925 ES

1 (D) The types of appointments for the re2 ceipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart3 ment that were provided during the one-year 

4 period preceding the submittal of the report. 

5 (E) The number of appointments for the 

6 receipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart7 ment that were requested during such period, 

8 disaggregated by medical facility. 

9 (F) Savings by the Department, if any, in10 cluding travel costs, from furnishing health care 

11 through the use of telemedicine during such pe12 riod. 

Passed the Senate January 3, 2018. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 925 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 

other purposes. veterans through the use of telemedicine, and for the ability of health care professionals to treat