I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2123 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 25, 2017 
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, 
Mr. LOBIONDO, and Mr. ESPAILLAT) introduced the following bill; which 
was 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans E-Health and 
Telemedicine Support Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘VETS Act 
of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Apr 26, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2123.IH
H2123
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1730A 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals pro-
viding treatment via telemedicine 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision 
of law regarding the licensure of health care professionals, 
a covered health care professional may practice the health 
care profession of the health care professional at any loca-
tion in any State, regardless of where the covered health 
care professional or the patient is located, if the covered 
health care professional is using telemedicine to provide 
treatment to an individual under this chapter. 
‘‘(b) PROPERTY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.—Sub-
section (a) shall apply to a covered health care professional 
providing treatment to a patient regardless of whether the 
covered health care professional or patient is located in 
a facility owned by the Federal Government during such 
treatment. 
‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may 
be construed to remove, limit, or otherwise affect any obli-
gation of a covered health care professional under the Con-
trolled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Apr 26, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2123.IH
H2123
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(d) COVERED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘covered health care pro-
fessional’ means a health care professional who— 
‘‘(1) is an employee of the Department ap-
pointed under the authority under sections 7306, 
7401, 7405, 7406, or 7408 of this title, or title 5; 
‘‘(2) is authorized by the Secretary to provide 
health care under this chapter; 
‘‘(3) is required to adhere to all quality stand-
ards relating to the provision of telemedicine in ac-
cordance with applicable policies of the Department; 
and 
‘‘(4) has an active, current, full, and unre-
stricted license, registration, or certification in a 
State to practice the health care profession of the 
health care professional.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 1730A the 
following new item: 
‘‘1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing treatment via telemedi-
cine.’’. 
(c) REPORT ON TELEMEDICINE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Com-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Apr 26, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2123.IH
H2123
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the 
use of telemedicine by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include an assessment of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The satisfaction of veterans with tele-
medicine furnished by the Department. 
(B) The satisfaction of health care pro-
viders in providing telemedicine furnished by 
the Department. 
(C) The effect of telemedicine furnished by 
the Department on the following: 
(i) The ability of veterans to access 
health care, whether from the Department 
or from non-Department health care pro-
viders. 
(ii) The frequency of use by veterans 
of telemedicine. 
(iii) The productivity of health care 
providers. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Apr 26, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2123.IH
H2123
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(iv) Wait times for an appointment 
for the receipt of health care from the De-
partment. 
(v) The reduction, if any, in the use 
by veterans of in-person services at De-
partment facilities and non-Department fa-
cilities. 
(D) The types of appointments for the re-
ceipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart-
ment that were provided during the one-year 
period preceding the submittal of the report. 
(E) The number of appointments for the 
receipt of telemedicine furnished by the Depart-
ment that were requested during such period, 
disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service 
Network. 
(F) Savings by the Department, if any, in-
cluding travel costs, of furnishing health care 
through the use of telemedicine during such pe-
riod. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Apr 26, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2123.IH
H2123
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS