I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 596 
To increase the ability of nursing facilities to access telehealth services and 
obtain technologies to allow virtual visits during the public health emer-
gency relating to an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID– 
19), and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2021 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DEFAZIO, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. WELCH, 
Mr. POCAN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. 
JAYAPAL, and Ms. CHU) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees 
on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To increase the ability of nursing facilities to access tele-
health services and obtain technologies to allow virtual 
visits during the public health emergency relating to 
an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19), 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advancing 
Connectivity during the Coronavirus to Ensure Support 
for Seniors Act’’ or the ‘‘ACCESS Act’’. 
TITLE I—SUPPLEMENTAL 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 101. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS. 
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of 
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, and for 
other purposes, namely: 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
SERVICES 
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 
RURAL HEALTH 
For an additional amount for the Telehealth Re-
source Center of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy 
of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to pro-
vide assistance with respect to technical, legal, regulatory 
service delivery or other related barriers to the develop-
ment of telehealth technologies for skilled nursing facilities 
(as defined in section 1819 of the Social Security Act) and 
nursing facilities (as defined in section 1919 of such Act), 
$50,000,000 to remain available through September 30, 
2022. 
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TITLE 
II—INCREASED 
ACCESS 
TO 
TELEHEALTH 
SERVICES 
AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES 
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COVID–19 PUBLIC
HEALTH
EMERGENCY 
PERIOD.—The term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer-
gency period’’ means the portion of the emergency 
period defined in paragraph (1)(B) of section 
1135(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1320b–5(g)) beginning on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(2) NURSING
FACILITY.—The term ‘‘nursing 
facility’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
1919(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396r(a)). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(4) SKILLED
NURSING
FACILITY.—The term 
‘‘skilled nursing facility’’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 1819(a) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395i–3(a)). 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given such term for purposes of title XIX of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). 
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SEC. 202. AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS TO NURSING FA-
CILITIES FOR SUPPORTING VIRTUAL VISITS 
DURING 
THE 
COVID–19 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH 
EMERGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants 
directly to skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities 
in accordance with this section to support virtual visits 
by family members and other individuals for residents of 
such facilities during the COVID–19 public health emer-
gency period. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall coordinate 
with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure 
that all facilities awarded a grant under this section are 
able to carry out the purposes described in subsection (d), 
including through the provision of telecommunications and 
broadband services necessary to support virtual visits de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
(c) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—A facility seek-
ing a grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such form and manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary shall re-
quire. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A facility awarded a grant 
under this section may only use the funds for expenditures 
attributable to obtaining and using— 
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(1) technologies to support virtual visits de-
scribed in subsection (a); and 
(2) any other items or services (including staff-
ing costs) necessary to carry out such visits. 
(e) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The Sec-
retary shall not award any grants under this section 
after the end of the COVID–19 public health emer-
gency period. 
(2) SUPPLEMENT, NOT
SUPPLANT.—Federal 
funds paid to a skilled nursing facility or a nursing 
facility pursuant to this section must be used to sup-
plement, but not supplant, any other Federal, State, 
or local funds available to the facility that may be 
used for a purpose specified in subsection (d). 
(f) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 15 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, 
after consultation with appropriate skilled nursing facility 
and nursing home resident advocate stakeholders, issue 
guidance on steps facilities awarded grants under this sec-
tion shall take to ensure residents of such facilities have 
access to virtual visitation during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency period and how such access shall be fa-
cilitated by such facilities. Such guidance shall include op-
tions for how such facilities will ensure notification of resi-
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dents and resident representatives of such virtual visita-
tion access and facilitation, address how adequate support 
will be provided to residents to facilitate virtual visitation, 
address how facilities will ensure or enable installation and 
access to a device purchased for the use or benefit of indi-
vidual or multiple facility residents, and address oper-
ational issues and avoid unnecessary barriers to timely de-
ployment of virtual visitation. 
(g) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the end 
of the COVID–19 public health emergency period, the Sec-
retary shall submit a report to Congress on the grants 
awarded under this section. 
(h) APPROPRIATION.—There are appropriated to the 
Secretary for fiscal year 2021, from any funds in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are 
necessary to carry out this section, to remain available 
through the last day of the month following the month 
in which the COVID–19 public health emergency period 
ends. 
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 
SEC. 301. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The amounts provided by this Act 
are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 
(2 U.S.C. 933(g)). 
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(b) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate, this 
Act is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant 
to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), 
the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 
2018. 
Æ 
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