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. 
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 ‘‘Supporting Patient 
Education And Knowledge Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘SPEAK 
Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON FURNISHING SERVICES VIA TELE-
HEALTH TO INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED 
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, in consultation with 1 or 
more entities from each of the categories described in 
paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b), shall issue 
and disseminate, or update and revise as applicable, guid-
ance for the entities described in such subsection on the 
following: 
(1) Best practices on facilitating and inte-
grating use of interpreters during a telemedicine ap-
pointment. 
(2) Best practices on providing accessible in-
structions on how to access telecommunications sys-
tems (as such term is used for purposes of section 
1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(m)) for individuals with limited English pro-
ficiency. 
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(3) Best practices on improving access to dig-
ital patient portals for individuals with limited 
English proficiency. 
(4) Best practices on integrating the use of 
video platforms that enable multi-person video calls 
furnished via a telecommunications system for pur-
poses of providing interpretation during a telemedi-
cine appointment for an individual with limited 
English proficiency. 
(5) Best practices for providing patient mate-
rials, communications, and instructions in multiple 
languages, including text message appointment re-
minders and prescription information. 
(b) ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—For purposes of sub-
section (a), an entity described in this subsection is an 
entity in 1 or more of the following categories: 
(1) Health information technology service pro-
viders, including— 
(A) electronic medical record companies; 
(B) remote patient monitoring companies; 
and 
(C) telehealth or mobile health vendors and 
companies. 
(2) Health care providers, including— 
(A) physicians; and 
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(B) hospitals. 
(3) Health insurers. 
(4) Language service companies. 
(5) Interpreter or translator professional asso-
ciations. 
(6) Health and language services quality certifi-
cation organizations. 
(7) Patient and consumer advocates, including 
such advocates that work with individuals with lim-
ited English proficiency. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 
2024. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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