ner, and containing such information as the Director may 
require, including— 
‘‘(1) a description of the project that the eligi-
ble entity will carry out using the funds provided 
under the grant; 
‘‘(2) a description of the manner in which the 
project funded under the grant will meet the health 
care needs of rural or other populations to be served 
through the project, or improve the access to serv-
ices of, and the quality of the services received by, 
those populations; 
‘‘(3) evidence of local support for the project, 
and a description of how the areas, communities, or 
populations to be served will be involved in the devel-
opment and ongoing operations of the project; 
‘‘(4) a plan for sustaining the project after Fed-
eral support for the project has ended; 
‘‘(5) information on the source and amount of 
non-Federal funds that the entity will provide for 
the project; 
‘‘(6) information demonstrating the long-term 
viability of the project, and other evidence of institu-
tional commitment of the entity to the project; 
‘‘(7) information on how services will be used to 
eliminate health care disparities; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
‘‘(8) in the case of an application for a project 
involving a telehealth network, information dem-
onstrating how the project will promote the integra-
tion of telehealth technologies into the operations of 
health care providers, to avoid redundancy, and im-
prove access to and the quality of care; and 
‘‘(9) other such information as the Director de-
termines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(e) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of termination of the last grant to be 
awarded under this section, the Director shall sub-
mit to Congress a final report— 
‘‘(A) describing the results of the programs 
funded by grants awarded pursuant to this sec-
tion; and 
‘‘(B) including an evaluation of the impact 
of the use of oral telehealth services on— 
‘‘(i) access to oral health care for 
rural patients; and 
‘‘(ii) the quality of, patient satisfac-
tion with, and the cost of, that care. 
‘‘(2) ENSURING ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE.—In 
conducting the evaluation under paragraph (1)(B), 
the Director shall— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
‘‘(A) give special consideration to the im-
pact of programs funded under this section on 
face-to-face access to medical providers; and 
‘‘(B) develop specific measures to evaluate 
the quality of care provided to those partici-
pating in such programs to ensure that tele-
medicine augments the plan of care. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PROVIDER.—In this 
section, the term ‘eligible provider’ includes dentists, 
periodontists, orthodontists, dental and oral health clinics, 
and schools of dentistry and oral health, where a majority 
of the patient population resides in a rural area, and may 
include other rural oral health providers that the Director 
deems appropriate. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$30,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may 
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2011.’’. 
SEC. 5. JOINT WORKING GROUP ON TELEHEALTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) REPRESENTATION OF RURAL AND URBAN 
AREAS.—The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices shall establish, within the Office for the Ad-
vancement of Telehealth in the Health Resources 
and Services Administration, and under the leader-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
ship of the Director of such Office, a Joint Working 
Group on Telehealth. In establishing such Group, 
the Secretary shall ensure that all relevant Federal 
agencies are represented and that input from rel-
evant industry groups, including representatives of 
rural areas and medically underserved areas, is fully 
considered. 
(2) MISSION.—The mission of the Joint Work-
ing Group on Telehealth is— 
(A) to identify, monitor, and coordinate 
Federal telehealth projects, data sets, and pro-
grams in rural and urban areas; 
(B) to analyze— 
(i) how telehealth systems are expand-
ing access to health care services, edu-
cation, and information; 
(ii) the clinical, educational, or admin-
istrative efficacy and cost-effectiveness of 
telehealth applications; and 
(iii) the quality of the telehealth serv-
ices delivered; 
(iv) how telehealth systems can ad-
vance the improvement of health care qual-
ity and the elimination of health care dis-
parities; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(v) the level of Federal resources 
needed to accomplish the stated objectives 
of telehealth programs as established 
under this Act; and 
(C) to make further recommendations for 
coordinating Federal and State efforts to in-
crease access to health services, education, and 
information in rural and urban medically un-
derserved areas. 
(3) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and each 
January 1 thereafter, the Joint Working Group on 
Telehealth shall submit to Congress a report on the 
status of the Group’s mission and the state of the 
telehealth field generally. 
(b) REPORT SPECIFICS.—The annual report required 
under subsection (a)(3) shall provide— 
(1) an analysis of— 
(A) the matters described in subsection 
(a)(2)(B); 
(B) Federal activities with respect to tele-
health; and 
(C) the process of the Joint Working 
Group on Telehealth’s efforts to coordinate 
Federal telehealth programs; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(2) recommendations for a coordinated Federal 
strategy to increase health care access through tele-
health. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to enable the Joint Working Group on Tele-
health to carry out this section. 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
06:11 Mar 23, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1601.IH
H1601
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS