I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7190 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
of a virtual health pilot program to facilitate utilization of remote patient 
monitoring technology to maintain or expand access to health care serv-
ices for individuals in rural areas during the COVID–19 emergency 
period, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2020 
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. NEWHOUSE) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the establishment of a virtual health pilot program to 
facilitate utilization of remote patient monitoring tech-
nology to maintain or expand access to health care serv-
ices for individuals in rural areas during the COVID– 
19 emergency period, 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 ‘‘Increasing Rural 
Health Access During the COVID–19 Public Health 
Emergency Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASING RURAL HEALTH ACCESS DURING THE 
COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Subsection (a) of section 330I of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(7) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (8), and 
(9), respectively; 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redes-
ignated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(1) COVID–19 EMERGENCY
PERIOD.—The 
term ‘COVID–19 emergency period’ means the pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of the In-
creasing Rural Health Access During the COVID– 
19 Public Health Emergency Act of 2020 and end-
ing on the date on which the national emergency de-
clared by the President under the National Emer-
gencies Act with respect to the COVID–19 outbreak 
in the United States expires.’’; and 
(3) by inserting before paragraph (8), as redes-
ignated, the following: 
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‘‘(7) REMOTE
PATIENT
MONITORING
TECH-
NOLOGY.—The term ‘remote patient monitoring 
technology’ means digital technologies used to collect 
medical and other forms of health data from individ-
uals in one location and electronically transmit such 
data securely to health care providers in a different 
location for assessment, recommendations, and inter-
ventions.’’. 
(b) PROGRAMS.—Subsection (b) of section 330I of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall establish, 
under section 301’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish, under section 301’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) VIRTUAL HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary shall establish a virtual health pilot pro-
gram to facilitate utilization of remote patient moni-
toring technology to maintain or expand access to 
health care services for individuals in rural areas 
during the COVID–19 emergency period.’’. 
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(c) GRANTS.—Subsection (d) of section 330I of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—The Director shall, in carrying out 
the virtual health pilot program referred to in sub-
section (b)(2), award grants to eligible entities to fa-
cilitate utilization of remote patient monitoring tech-
nology in rural areas to— 
‘‘(A) maintain or expand access to, and co-
ordinate health care services for, individuals 
with chronic conditions; 
‘‘(B) improve and expand the training of 
health care providers using remote patient mon-
itoring technology; and 
‘‘(C) minimize challenges facing health 
care providers and health care facilities, includ-
ing rural health clinics, community health cen-
ters, community behavioral health centers, long- 
term care facilities, and rural hospitals, as such 
providers and facilities serve their communities 
especially during the COVID–19 emergency pe-
riod.’’. 
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(d) GRANT PERIODS.—Subsection (e) of section 330I 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Director may award 
grants under this section’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) TELEHEALTH
NETWORK
AND
TELE-
HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER GRANTS.—The Director 
may award grants under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (d)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—The Director shall— 
‘‘(A) not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of Increasing Rural Health Access 
During the COVID–19 Public Health Emer-
gency Act of 2020, issue a notice of the avail-
ability of funding through grants under sub-
section (d)(3); and 
‘‘(B) not later than 90 days after the date 
of issuance of the notice required by subpara-
graph (A), award all grants under subsection 
(d)(3).’’. 
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(e) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Subsection (f) of section 
330I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c– 
14) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (d)(3), an entity shall— 
‘‘(A) meet the requirements of paragraphs 
(1), (2), and (3) of this subsection that apply 
to an entity seeking a grant under subsection 
(d)(1); 
‘‘(B) be located in a rural area; and 
‘‘(C) demonstrate that the entity will pro-
vide services using remote patient monitoring 
technology that is— 
‘‘(i) cellular enabled; 
‘‘(ii) approved, cleared, or authorized 
by the Food and Drug Administration; and 
‘‘(iii) operable using cellular stand-
ards, including 2G and 3G, that offer 
broad network coverage in rural areas 
without broadband access, as determined 
by the Secretary.’’. 
(f) APPLICATIONS.—Subsection (g) of section 330I of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(8) as subparagraphs (A) through (H), respectively, 
and moving the margin of each such redesignated 
subparagraph 2 ems to the right; 
(2) by striking ‘‘To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (d)’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) TELEHEALTH
NETWORK
AND
TELE-
HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER GRANTS.—To be eligi-
ble to receive a grant under paragraph (1) or (2) of 
subsection (d)’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (d)(3), an eligible entity shall pre-
pare and submit to the Secretary an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require and include 
in such application— 
‘‘(A) a description of the project that the 
eligible entity will carry out using the funds 
provided under the grant; 
‘‘(B) a description of the manner in which 
the project funded under the grant will meet 
the health care needs of rural or other popu-
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lations to be served through the project, or 
maintain or improve access to services of, and 
the quality of the services received by, those 
populations; 
‘‘(C) information on the source and 
amount of non-Federal funds that the entity 
will provide for the project; and 
‘‘(D) evidence of intent to provide services 
using remote patient monitoring technology as 
described in subsection (f)(4)(C).’’. 
(g) PREFERENCES.—Subsection (h) of section 330I 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM
GRANTS.—In awarding grants under sub-
section (d)(3), the Secretary shall give preference to 
any eligible entity that— 
‘‘(A) is able to establish a virtual health 
program using remote patient monitoring tech-
nology within 60 days of receipt of the award; 
and 
‘‘(B) proposes to use Federal funds made 
available through such a grant to establish and 
furnish services using remote patient moni-
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toring technology that provides real time, con-
tinuous coaching services.’’. 
(h) USE OF FUNDS.—Subsection (j) of section 330I 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—The recipient of a grant under sub-
section (d)(3) may use funds received through such 
grant for salaries, equipment, and operating or other 
costs for— 
‘‘(A) developing and delivering services 
using remote patient monitoring technology 
that enhance access to community-based health 
care services in rural areas; 
‘‘(B) developing and acquiring, through 
lease or purchase, computer hardware and soft-
ware, audio and video equipment, computer net-
work equipment, interactive equipment, data 
terminal equipment, and other equipment that 
furthers the objectives of the virtual health pilot 
program; 
‘‘(C)(i) providing for transmission of med-
ical data, and maintenance of equipment; and 
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‘‘(ii) providing for compensation (including 
travel expenses) of specialists, and referring 
health care providers, who are providing virtual 
health services through remote patient moni-
toring technology if no third-party payment is 
available; 
‘‘(D) collecting and analyzing usage statis-
tics and data to document the cost-effectiveness 
of services using remote patient monitoring 
technology; and 
‘‘(E) carrying out such other activities as 
are consistent with achieving the objectives of 
the virtual health pilot program, as determined 
by the Secretary.’’. 
(i) FUNDING.—Subsection (q) of section 330I of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–14) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘AU-
THORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS’’ and inserting 
‘‘FUNDING’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this section’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) TELEHEALTH
NETWORK
AND
TELE-
HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER GRANTS.—To carry out 
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this section with respect to grants under paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of subsection (d), there is authorized to 
be appropriated’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) VIRTUAL HEALTH NETWORK PILOT PRO-
GRAM GRANTS.—To carry out this section with re-
spect to the virtual health pilot program under sub-
section (b)(2), including grants under subsection 
(d)(3), there is authorized to be appropriated 
$50,000,000, to remain available through the end of 
the COVID–19 emergency period.’’. 
(j) REPORT.—Not later than two years after award-
ing all grants under subsection (d)(3) of section 330I of 
the Public Health Service Act, as added by this section, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall prepare 
and submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a 
report on the activities and outcomes of the pilot program 
under subsection (b)(2) of section 330I of such Act, as 
added by this section. 
Æ 
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