II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2170 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 8, 2015 

Mrs. ERNST (for herself, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. UDALL, Mr. TILLIS, 

Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. ROUNDS, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. GRASSLEY, and Mr. HEINRICH) introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Telemedicine Support Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘VETS Act 

6 of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF 

2 THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

3 PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE. 

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

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

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals pro8 viding treatment via telemedicine 

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

10 of law regarding the licensure of health care professionals, 

11 a covered health care professional may practice the health 

12 care profession of the health care professional at any loca13 tion in any State, regardless of where such health care 

14 professional or the patient is located, if the health care 

15 professional is using telemedicine to provide treatment to 

16 an individual under this chapter. 

17 ‘‘(b) PROPERTY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.—Sub18 section (a) shall apply to a covered health care professional 

19 providing treatment to a patient regardless of whether 

20 such health care professional or patient is located in a fa21 cility owned by the Federal Government during such treat22 ment. 

23 ‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may 

24 be construed to remove, limit, or otherwise affect any obli25 gation of a covered health care professional under the Con26 trolled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). 


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1 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘covered health care professional’ 

3 means a health care professional who is— 

4 ‘‘(A) authorized by the Secretary to pro5 vide health care under this chapter, including a 

6 private health care professional who provides 

7 such care under a contract entered into with 

8 the Secretary, including a contract entered into 

9 under section 1703 of this title; and 

10 ‘‘(B) licensed, registered, or certified in a 

11 State to practice the health care profession of 

12 the health care professional. 

13 ‘‘(2) The term ‘telemedicine’ means the use of 

14 telecommunication technology and information tech15 nology to provide health care or support the provi16 sion of health care in situations in which the patient 

17 and health care professional are separated by geo18 graphic distance.’’. 

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

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

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

22 following new item: 

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

23 (c) REPORT ON TELEMEDICINE.— 


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

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Com4 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

5 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

6 Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the 

7 use of telemedicine by the Department of Veterans 

8 Affairs. 

9 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para10 graph (1) shall include an assessment of the fol11 lowing: 

12 (A) The satisfaction of veterans with tele13 medicine furnished by the Department. 

14 (B) The satisfaction of health care pro15 viders in providing telemedicine furnished by 

16 the Department. 

17 (C) The effect of telemedicine furnished by 

18 the Department on the following: 

19 (i) The ability of veterans to access 

20 health care, whether from the Department 

21 or from non-Department health care pro22 viders. 

23 (ii) The frequency of use by veterans 

24 of telemedicine. 


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1 (iii) The productivity of health care 

2 providers. 

3 (iv) Wait times for an appointment 

4 for the receipt of health care from the De5 partment. 

6 (v) The reduction, if any, in the use 

7 by veterans of services at Department fa8 cilities and non-Department facilities. 

9 (D) The types of appointments for the re10 ceipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart11 ment that were provided during the one-year 

12 period preceding the submittal of the report. 

13 (E) The number of appointments for the 

14 receipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart15 ment that were requested during such period, 

16 disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service 

17 Network. 

18 (F) Savings by the Department, if any, in19 cluding travel costs, of furnishing health care 

20 through the use of telemedicine during such pe21 riod. 

22 (3) TELEMEDICINE DEFINED.—In this sub23 section, the term ‘‘telemedicine’’ has the meaning 


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1 given that term in section 1730B(d)(2) of title 38, 

2 United States Code, as added by subsection (a). 

Æ 


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