IIB 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6033 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to establish a task force to improve access to health 

care information technology for non-English speakers. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Patient 

3 Education And Knowledge Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘SPEAK 

4 Act of 2024’’. 

5 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON FURNISHING SERVICES VIA TELE6 HEALTH TO INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED 

7 ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 

10 Health and Human Services, in consultation with 1 or 

11 more entities from each of the categories described in 

12 paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b), shall issue 

13 and disseminate, or update and revise as applicable, guid14 ance for the entities described in such subsection on the 

15 following: 

16 (1) Best practices on facilitating and inte17 grating use of interpreters during a telemedicine ap18 pointment. 

19 (2) Best practices on providing accessible in20 structions on how to access telecommunications sys21 tems (as such term is used for purposes of section 

22 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 1395m(m)) for individuals with limited English pro24 ficiency. 


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1 (3) Best practices on improving access to dig2 ital patient portals for individuals with limited 

3 English proficiency. 

4 (4) Best practices on integrating the use of 

5 video platforms that enable multi-person video calls 

6 furnished via a telecommunications system for pur7 poses of providing interpretation during a telemedi8 cine appointment for an individual with limited 

9 English proficiency. 

10 (5) Best practices for providing patient mate11 rials, communications, and instructions in multiple 

12 languages, including text message appointment re13 minders and prescription information. 

14 (b) ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—For purposes of sub15 section (a), an entity described in this subsection is an 

16 entity in 1 or more of the following categories: 

17 (1) Health information technology service pro18 viders, including— 

19 (A) electronic medical record companies; 

20 (B) remote patient monitoring companies; 

21 and 

22 (C) telehealth or mobile health vendors and 

23 companies. 

24 (2) Health care providers, including— 

25 (A) physicians; and 


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1 (B) hospitals. 

2 (3) Health insurers. 

3 (4) Language service companies. 

4 (5) Interpreter or translator professional asso5 ciations. 

6 (6) Health and language services quality certifi7 cation organizations. 

8 (7) Patient and consumer advocates, including 

9 such advocates that work with individuals with lim10 ited English proficiency. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 

2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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