Title: ECHO 2019 Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act of 2019 or the ECHO 2019 Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program that supports the implementation of certain educational, specialty health care technology in rural or medically underserved areas. Specifically, HHS must award grants to health care entities serving rural areas, health-professional shortage areas, medically underserved populations, or Native Americans for specified videoconferencing technology that connects health professionals with specialists (e.g., chronic-disease, mental-health, and substance-use disorder specialists).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1618 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1618

   To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand the capacity to 
    improve health outcomes and increase access to specialized care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2019

 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Kaine, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand the capacity to 
    improve health outcomes and increase access to specialized care.

    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 ``Expanding Capacity for Health 
Outcomes Act of 2019'' or the ``ECHO 2019 Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.

    Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting 
after section 399I (42 U.S.C. 280f-1) the following:

``SEC. 399I-1. EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an 
        entity providing health care services in rural areas, frontier 
        areas, health professional shortage areas, or medically 
        underserved areas, or to medically underserved populations or 
        Native Americans, including Indian tribes or tribal 
        organizations.
            ``(2) Health professional shortage area.--The term `health 
        professional shortage area' means a health professional 
        shortage area designated under section 332.
            ``(3) Indian tribes and tribal organizations.--The terms 
        `Indian tribes' and `tribal organizations' have the meaning 
        given such terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
        and Education Assistance Act.
            ``(4) Medically underserved population.--The term 
        `medically underserved population' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 330(b)(3).
            ``(5) Native americans.--The term `Native Americans' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 736 and includes Indian 
        tribes and tribal organizations.
            ``(6) Technology-enabled collaborative learning and 
        capacity building model.--The term `technology-enabled 
        collaborative learning and capacity building model' means a 
        distance health education model that connects specialists with 
        multiple other health care professionals through simultaneous 
        interactive videoconferencing for the purpose of facilitating 
        case-based learning, disseminating best practices, and 
        evaluating outcomes.
    ``(b) Program Established.--The Secretary shall, as appropriate, 
award grants to evaluate, develop, and, as appropriate, expand the use 
of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building 
models, to increase access to health care services, such as those to 
address chronic diseases and conditions, mental health, substance use 
disorders, prenatal and maternal health, pediatric care, pain 
management, palliative care, and other specialty care in medically 
underserved areas and for medically underserved populations.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under subsection (b) shall, as 
appropriate, be used for--
            ``(1) equipment to support the use and expansion of 
        technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building 
        models, including for hardware and software that enables 
        distance learning, health care provider support, and the secure 
        exchange of electronic health information;
            ``(2) support for health care providers and other 
        professionals that provide or assist in the provision of 
        services through such models;
            ``(3) the development and acquisition of instructional 
        programming, and the training of health care providers and 
        other professionals that provide or assist in the provision of 
        services through such models;
            ``(4) information collection and evaluation activities to 
        study the impact of such models on patient outcomes and health 
        care providers, and to identify best practices for the 
        expansion and use of such models; and
            ``(5) other activities consistent with achieving the 
        objectives of the grants awarded under this section, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Length of Grants.--Grants awarded under subsection (b) shall 
be for a period of up to 5 years.
    ``(e) Application.--An eligible entity that seeks to receive a 
grant under subsection (b) shall submit to the Secretary an 
application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require. Such application criteria 
shall include an evaluation of patient outcomes and health care 
providers resulting from technology-enabled collaborative learning and 
capacity building models.
    ``(f) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide (either 
directly through the Department of Health and Human Services or by 
contract) technical assistance to eligible entities, including 
recipients of grants under subsection (b), on the development, use, and 
evaluation of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 
building models in order to expand access to health care services 
provided by such entities, including for medically underserved areas 
and to medically underserved populations.
    ``(g) Report by Secretary.--Not later than 4 years after the date 
of enactment of this section, 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, and post on the internet website of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, a report including, at minimum--
            ``(1) a description of any new and continuing grants 
        awarded to entities under subsection (b) and the specific 
        purpose and amounts of such grants;
            ``(2) an overview of--
                    ``(A) the evaluations conducted under subsections 
                (b) or (f); and
                    ``(B) technical assistance provided under 
                subsection (f); and
            ``(3) a description of any significant findings or 
        developments in patient outcomes and health care providers and 
        best practices for eligible entities expanding, using, or 
        evaluating technology-enabled collaborative learning and 
        capacity building models.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2024.''.
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