Title: R–DOCS Reauthorization Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Rural Delivery of Online Care Services Reauthorization Act of 2020 or the R-DOCS Reauthorization Act of 2020
This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and otherwise modifies grants for telehealth networks and telehealth resource centers that serve medically underserved populations. Among other changes, the bill (1) provides statutory authority for including substance-use disorder providers in the list of entities that may participate in telehealth networks, and (2) specifies a preference for applicants with a record of success in expanding telehealth in rural areas for telehealth resource services grants.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3438 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3438

 To reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers 
                            grant programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2020

  Mrs. Loeffler (for herself and Ms. Smith) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers 
                            grant programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Delivery of Online Care 
Services Reauthorization Act of 2020'' or the ``R-DOCS Reauthorization 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. TELEHEALTH NETWORK AND TELEHEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS GRANT 
              PROGRAMS.

    Section 330I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-14) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``projects to demonstrate how 
                        telehealth technologies can be used through 
                        telehealth networks'' and inserting ``evidence-
                        based projects that utilize telehealth 
                        technologies through telehealth networks'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``the quality of'' 
                                and inserting ``access to, and the 
                                quality of,''; and
                                    (II) by inserting ``and'' after the 
                                semicolon;
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (B);
                            (iv) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                        subparagraph (B); and
                            (v) in subparagraph (B), as so 
                        redesignated, by striking ``and patients and 
                        their families, for decisionmaking'' and 
                        inserting ``, patients, and their families''; 
                        and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``demonstrate how 
                        telehealth technologies can be used'' and 
                        inserting ``support initiatives that utilize 
                        telehealth technologies''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``, to establish 
                        telehealth resource centers'';
            (2) in subsection (e), by striking ``4 years'' and 
        inserting ``5 years'';
            (3) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2);
                    (B) in paragraph (1)(B)--
                            (i) by redesignating clauses (i) through 
                        (iii) as paragraphs (1) through (3), 
                        respectively, and adjusting the margins 
                        accordingly;
                            (ii) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated 
                        by clause (i), by redesignating subclauses (I) 
                        through (XII) as subparagraphs (A) through (L), 
                        respectively, and adjusting the margins 
                        accordingly; and
                            (iii) by striking ``(1) Telehealth network 
                        grants--'' and all that follows through ``(B) 
                        Telehealth networks--''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(I), as so redesignated, by 
                inserting ``and substance use disorder'' after ``mental 
                health'' each place such term appears;
            (4) in subsection (g)(2), by striking ``or improve'' and 
        inserting ``and improve'';
            (5) by striking subsection (h);
            (6) by redesignating subsections (i) through (p) as 
        subsection (h) through (o), respectively;
            (7) in subsection (h), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``mental health, public health, long-term care, 
                        home care, preventive'' and inserting ``mental 
                        health care, public health services, long-term 
                        care, home care, preventive care'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting 
                        ``and regional'' after ``local''; and
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (F); and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``medically 
                underserved areas or'' and inserting ``rural areas, 
                medically underserved areas, or'';
            (8) in paragraph (2) of subsection (i), as so redesignated, 
        by striking ``ensure that--'' and all that follows through the 
        end of subparagraph (B) and inserting ``ensure that not less 
        than 50 percent of the funds awarded shall be awarded for 
        projects in rural areas.'';
            (9) in subsection (j), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``computer 
                hardware and software, audio and video equipment, 
                computer network equipment, interactive equipment, data 
                terminal equipment, and other''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(F), by striking ``health care 
                providers and'';
            (10) in subsection (k), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``40 percent'' 
                and inserting ``20 percent''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``(such as laying 
                cable or telephone lines, or purchasing or installing 
                microwave towers, satellite dishes, amplifiers, or 
                digital switching equipment)'';
            (11) by striking subsections (q) and (r) and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(p) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment 
of the Rural Delivery of Online Care Services Reauthorization Act of 
2020, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and 
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives a report on the activities and outcomes of the grant 
programs under subsection (b).'';
            (12) by redesignating subsection (s) as subsection (q); and
            (13) in subsection (q), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``this section--'' and all that follows through the end of 
        paragraph (2) and inserting ``this section $29,000,000 for each 
        of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.''.
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