HR 3070 IH
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant
under this section an entity shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including a description of the use to which the entity
will apply any amounts received under such grant.
‘‘(c) PREFERENCE IN AWARDING GRANTS.—The Sec-
retary shall, in awarding grant under subsection (a), give
preference to applicants that—
‘‘(1) are participants in rural health care net-
works or that propose to form such networks;
‘‘(2) can demonstrate broad geographic cov-
erage in the rural areas of the State, or States in
which the applicant is located; and
‘‘(3) propose to use Federal funds to develop
plans for, or to establish, pilot telecommunications
systems that will link rural hospitals and other rural
health care providers to other hospitals, and health
care providers.
‘‘SEC. 1712. GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
ADVANCED 
RURAL 
TELEMEDICINE 
NET-
WORKS.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall award
grants to rural health networks for the purpose of linking
such networks together using advanced telemedicine sys-
HR 3070 IH
tems. Grants shall be awarded under this section to fur-
ther develop telemedicine projects initiated by these rural
health care networks.
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant
under this section an entity shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including a description of the use to which the entity
will apply any amounts received under such grant.
‘‘(c) MINIMUM
QUALIFICATIONS.—The Secretary
may not award a grant to an applicant under subsection
(a) unless—
‘‘(1) the applicant is determined by the Sec-
retary to include one or more rural health network;
and
‘‘(2) the applicant can demonstrate broad geo-
graphical coverage in the rural areas of the State or
States in which it is located.
‘‘(d) PREFERENCES
IN AWARDING GRANTS.—The
Secretary shall, in awarding grants under subsection (a),
give preference to qualified applicants that—
‘‘(1) can demonstrate that a majority of the
hospitals and other providers participating in the ap-
plicant group have functioned as networks for at
HR 3070 IH
least 1 year prior to applying for funding under this
section; and
‘‘(2) will use amounts provided under the grant
to provide a range of telecommunications applica-
tions such as teleradiology, telepathology, interactive
video consultation and remote educational services
and to promote areawide health planning and great-
er efficiency in administrative activities.
‘‘SEC. 1713. GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
ADVANCED 
FIBER 
OPTIC 
BASED 
RURAL
TELEMEDICINE NETWORKS.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall award
grants to rural health networks for the purpose of linking
these networks to existing fiber optic telecommunications
systems.
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant
under this section an entity shall prepare and submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including a description of the use to which the entity
will apply any amounts received under such grant.
‘‘(c) MINIMUM
QUALIFICATIONS.—The Secretary
may not award a grant to an applicant under subsection
(a) unless—
HR 3070 IH
‘‘(1) the applicant is determined by the Sec-
retary to include one or more rural health network;
‘‘(2) the applicant group can demonstrate broad
geographical coverage in the rural areas of the State
or States in which it is located; and
‘‘(3) the applicant group will participate in an
existing fiber optic telecommunications system.
‘‘(d) PREFERENCES
IN AWARDING GRANTS.—The
Secretary shall, in awarding grants under subsection (a),
give preference to qualified applicants that—
‘‘(1) will use grant funds to provide a range of
telecommunications 
applications 
including
teleradiology, telepathology, interactive video con-
sultation and remote educational services and to pro-
mote areawide health planning and greater efficiency
in administrative activities;
‘‘(2) demonstrate that the majority of the hos-
pitals and other providers participating in the appli-
cant group have functioned as networks for at least
1 year prior to applying for funding under this sec-
tion; and
‘‘(3) will participate in an existing fiber optics
cable system.
HR 3070 IH
‘‘SEC. 1714. USE OF FUNDS FOR INITIAL DEVELOPMENT
GRANT PROGRAMS.
‘‘(a) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Entities eligible to re-
ceive a grant under section 1711 shall include hospitals,
hospital networks, and other health care providers.
‘‘(b) USE OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts received under a
grant awarded under section 1711 shall be utilized for the
initial development of rural telemedicine networks, includ-
ing the establishment of pilot telemedicine projects involv-
ing two or more providers. Such amounts may be used
to cover the costs associated with the development of
telemedicine networks and the acquisition or construction
of telecommunications facilities and equipment includ-
ing—
‘‘(1) the development and acquisition through
lease or purchase of computer hardware and soft-
ware, audio and visual equipment, computer network
equipment, telecommunications transmission facili-
ties, telecommunications terminal equipment, inter-
active video equipment, data terminal equipment,
and other facilities and equipment that would fur-
ther the purposes authorized by this part;
‘‘(2) the provision of technical assistance and
instruction for the development and use of such pro-
gramming, equipment, or facilities;
HR 3070 IH
‘‘(3) the development and acquisition of instruc-
tional programming; or
‘‘(4) such other uses that are consistent with
achieving the purposes of this part as approved by
the Secretary.
‘‘SEC. 1715. USE OF FUNDS FOR ADVANCED TELEMEDICINE
GRANT PROGRAMS.
‘‘Grants under sections 1712 and 1713 shall be avail-
able to health care networks for the development of
telemedicine networks and the acquisition or construction
of telecommunications facilities and equipment includ-
ing—
‘‘(1) the development and acquisition through
lease or purchase of computer hardware and soft-
ware, audio and visual equipment, computer network
equipment, telecommunications transmission facili-
ties, telecommunications terminal equipment, inter-
active video equipment, data terminal equipment,
and other facilities and equipment that would fur-
ther the purposes authorized by this part;
‘‘(2) the provision of technical assistance and
instruction for the development and use of such pro-
gramming, equipment, or facilities;
‘‘(3) the development and acquisition of instruc-
tional programming; or
HR 3070 IH
‘‘(4) such other uses that are consistent with
achieving the purposes of this part as approved by
the Secretary.
‘‘SEC. 1716. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘For the purposes of this part:
‘‘(1) COMPUTER NETWORKS.—The term ‘com-
puter networks’ means computer hardware and soft-
ware, terminals, signal conversion equipment includ-
ing both modulators and demodulators, or related
devices, used to communicate with other computers
to process and exchange data through a tele-
communication network in which signals are gen-
erated, modified, or prepared for transmission, or re-
ceived, via telecommunications terminal equipment
and telecommunications transmission facilities.
‘‘(2) DATA TERMINAL EQUIPMENT.—The term
‘data terminal equipment’ means equipment that
converts user information into data signals for
transmission, or reconverts the received data signals
into user information, and is normally found on the
terminal of a circuit and on the premises of the end
user.
‘‘(3) FIBER
OPTIC
CABLE.—The term ‘fiber
optic cable’ means a bundle of optical transmission
elements or waveguides usually consisting of a fiber
HR 3070 IH
core and fiber cladding that can guide a lightwave
and that are incorporated into an assembly of mate-
rials that provide tensile strength and external pro-
tection.
‘‘(4) INTERACTIVE
VIDEO
EQUIPMENT.—The
term ‘interactive video equipment’ means equipment
used to produce and prepare for transmission audio
and visual signals from at least two distant locations
in order that individuals at such locations can ver-
bally and visually communicate with each other, and
such equipment includes monitors, other display de-
vices, cameras or other recording devices, audio pick-
up devices, and other related equipment.
‘‘(5) HEALTH
CARE
NETWORK.—The term
‘rural health care network’ means a group of rural
hospitals or other rural health care providers (in-
cluding clinics, physicians and non-physician pri-
mary care providers) that have entered into a formal
relationship with each other or with nonrural hos-
pitals and health care providers for the purpose of
strengthening the delivery of health care services in
rural areas or specifically to improve their patients’
access to telemedicine services. At least 75 percent
of hospitals and other health care providers partici-
pating in the network shall be located in rural areas.
HR 3070 IH
‘‘(6) FIBER OPTIC CABLE SYSTEM.—The term
‘Fiber optic cable system’ means a telecommuni-
cations system that will carry voice, data, and full
motion video traffic through fiber optic cable.
‘‘(7) TELECOMMUNICATIONS TERMINAL EQUIP-
MENT.—The term ‘telecommunications terminal
equipment’ means the assembly of telecommuni-
cations equipment at the end of a circuit, normally
located on the premises of the end user, that inter-
faces with telecommunications transmission facili-
ties, and that is used to modify, convert, encode, or
otherwise prepare signals to be transmitted via such
telecommunications facilities, or that is used to mod-
ify, reconvert or carry signals received from such fa-
cilities, the purpose of which is to accomplish the
goal for which the circuit was established.
‘‘(8) TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRANSMISSION FA-
CILITIES.—The term ‘telecommunications trans-
mission facilities’ means those facilities that trans-
mit, receive, or carry data between the telecommuni-
cations terminal equipment at each end of a tele-
communications circuit or path. Such facilities in-
clude microwave antennae, relay stations and towers,
other telecommunications antennae, fiber-optic ca-
bles and repeaters, coaxial cables, communication
HR 3070 IH
satellite ground station complexes, copper cable elec-
tronic equipment associated with telecommunications
transmissions, and similar items as defined by the
Secretary.
‘‘SEC. 1717. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘For the purposes of carrying out this part, there are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1997.’’.
Æ