I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6474 
To provide for the expansion of the Rural Health Care Program of the 
Federal Communications Commission in response to COVID–19, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2020 
Ms. ESHOO (for herself and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for the expansion of the Rural Health Care 
Program of the Federal Communications Commission in 
response to 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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Healthcare Broadband 
Expansion During COVID-19 Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF RURAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM OF 
FCC IN RESPONSE TO COVID–19. 
(a) PROMULGATION OF REGULATIONS REQUIRED.— 
Not later than 7 days after the date of the enactment of 
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(4) The waiver of the application window speci-
fied in section 54.621(a) of title 47, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or any successor regulation), for fund-
ing year 2019. 
(5) The adoption and implementation of a roll-
ing application process to allow a health care pro-
vider to apply for funding. 
(6) The following changes to certain bidding re-
quirements: 
(A) A waiver of any requirement under 
section 54.622 of title 47, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations (or any successor regulation), for a 
health care provider upgrading an existing sup-
ported service at a particular location, effective 
as of the date of declaration of the public health 
emergency pursuant to section 319 of the Pub-
lic Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) as a 
result of confirmed cases of COVID–19, if the 
health care provider maintains the same eligible 
service provider to provide the upgraded service 
at such location. 
(B) Reduction of the 28-day waiting period 
described in section 54.622(g) of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation), to a 14-day waiting period. 
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(C) Modification of the requirements in 
section 54.622 of title 47, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations (or any successor regulation), to— 
(i) provide that bid evaluation criteria 
may give additional consideration to the 
speed with which an eligible service pro-
vider can initiate service; and 
(ii) encourage applicants to consider 
bids from different providers to provide 
service to different locations of such appli-
cants, if considering bids in this manner 
would expedite the overall timeline for ini-
tiating or expanding service to individual 
locations. 
(7) Issuance of a decision on each application 
for funding not later than 60 days after the date on 
which the application is filed. 
(8) Release of funding not later than 30 days 
after the date on which an invoice is submitted with 
respect to an application that is approved, applicable 
services have been provided, and required invoices 
have been submitted as required under program 
rules. 
(b) ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO RURAL HEALTH CARE 
PROGRAM.— 
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(1) RELEASE OF FUNDING FOR OUTSTANDING 
FUNDING REQUESTS.—The Commission shall release 
funding for all requests (outstanding as of the date 
of the enactment of this Act) for funding under the 
Rural Health Care Program not later than 30 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, except 
that for funding requests subject to a review of the 
applicable rural rate, the Commission shall release 
interim funding not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act based on the most 
recent approved rural rate for a similar service, sub-
ject to a true-up following the completion of such re-
view. This paragraph shall not be construed to re-
quire the Commission to release funding for a re-
quest if the Commission is, on the date of enactment 
of this Act, investigating potential waste, fraud, or 
abuse allegations with respect to a specific applicant 
or service provider to which such request relates. 
(2) DELAY OF IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.— 
The Commission shall— 
(A) delay by one year the implementation 
of sections 54.604 and 54.605 of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation), as adopted in the Report and Order in 
the matter of Promoting Telehealth in Rural 
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America (FCC 19–78) that was adopted by the 
Commission on August 1, 2019; and 
(B) delay application of the new definition 
of ‘‘similar services’’ as described in paragraphs 
14 to 20 of such Report and Order until the 
implementation of such sections. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE OF REGULATIONS.—The regu-
lations required under subsection (a) shall take effect on 
the date on which such regulations are promulgated. 
(d) TERMINATION OF REGULATIONS.—Except to the 
extent that the Commission determines that some or all 
of the regulations promulgated under subsection (a) 
should remain in effect (excluding any regulation promul-
gated under paragraph (1) of such subsection), such regu-
lations shall terminate on the later of— 
(1) the earlier of— 
(A) the date that is 60 days after the ter-
mination of the declaration, or any renewal 
thereof, of the public health emergency pursu-
ant to section 319 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) as a result of confirmed 
cases of COVID–19; and 
(B) the date of the expiration of the appro-
priation in subsection (f)(2); and 
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(2) the date that is 9 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(e) EXEMPTIONS.— 
(1) NOTICE AND COMMENT RULEMAKING RE-
QUIREMENTS.—Section 553 of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not apply to a regulation promulgated 
under subsection (a) or a rulemaking to promulgate 
such a regulation. 
(2) PAPERWORK
REDUCTION
ACT
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—A collection of information conducted or 
sponsored under the regulations required by sub-
section (a), or under section 254 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) in connection 
with universal service support provided under such 
regulations, shall not constitute a collection of infor-
mation for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 
35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly re-
ferred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act). 
(f) 
EMERGENCY
RURAL
HEALTH
CARE 
CONNECTIVITY FUND.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 
known as the Emergency Rural Health Care Con-
nectivity Fund. 
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(2) APPROPRIATION.—There is appropriated to 
the Emergency Rural Health Care Connectivity 
Fund, out of any money in the Treasury not other-
wise appropriated, $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, 
to remain available through fiscal year 2022. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts in the Emer-
gency Rural Health Care Connectivity Fund shall be 
available to the Commission to carry out the Rural 
Health Care Program, as modified by the regula-
tions promulgated under subsection (a). 
(4) RELATIONSHIP
TO
UNIVERSAL
SERVICE 
CONTRIBUTIONS.—Support provided under the regu-
lations required by paragraphs (1) through (3) of 
subsection (a) shall be provided from amounts made 
available under paragraph (3) of this subsection and 
not from contributions under section 254(d) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)). 
Such support shall be in addition to, and not in re-
placement of, funds authorized by the Commission 
for the Rural Health Care Program as of the date 
of the enactment of this Act from contributions 
under section 254(d) of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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described in section 54.620(c) of title 47, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 
(8) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 54.600(e) of 
title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any suc-
cessor regulation). 
(9) RURAL
HEALTH
CARE
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘Rural Health Care Program’’ means the pro-
gram described in subpart G of part 54 of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation). 
(10) RURAL
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘‘rural health care provider’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 54.600(f) of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation). 
(11) TELECOMMUNICATIONS
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘Telecommunications Program’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 54.602(a) of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation). 
(12) UPFRONT PAYMENTS.—The term ‘‘upfront 
payments’’ means the payments described in section 
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54.616 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
any successor regulation). 
Æ 
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