VETS Act of 2013

Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support Act of 2013 or VETS Act of 2013 - Allows a health care professional who is authorized to provide health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and who is a licensed professional to practice at any location in any state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. commonwealth, territory, or possession, regardless of where the professional or patient is located, if the professional is using telemedicine to provide treatment. Allows such treatment regardless of whether such professional or patient is located in a facility owned by the federal government.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2001 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2001

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the ability of health 
         care professionals to treat veterans via telemedicine.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2013

 Mr. Rangel (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. McGovern, 
  Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Rahall, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. McCaul, Mr. 
 Westmoreland, Mr. Perry, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Chu, Ms. Norton, 
 Mr. Meeks, Mr. Walz, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Nunnelee, Mr. Broun of Georgia, 
      Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Gary G. Miller of California, Mr. Kelly of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Pocan, and Mr. Roe of Tennessee) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the ability of health 
         care professionals to treat veterans via telemedicine.

    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 ``Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine 
Support Act of 2013'' or the ``VETS Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after section 1730A the following new section:
``Sec. 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing 
              treatment via telemedicine
    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision of law regarding 
the licensure of health care professionals, a covered health care 
professional may practice the health profession of the health care 
professional at any location in any State, the District of Columbia, or 
a commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, 
regardless of where such health care professional or the patient is 
located, if the health care professional is using telemedicine to 
provide treatment to an individual under this chapter.
    ``(b) Property of Federal Government.--Subsection (a) shall apply 
to a covered health care professional providing treatment to a patient 
regardless of whether such health care professional or patient is 
located in a facility owned by the Federal Government during such 
treatment.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `covered health care professional' means a 
        health care professional who is--
                    ``(A) authorized by the Secretary to provide health 
                care under this chapter, including a private health 
                care professional who provides such care under a 
                contract entered into with the Secretary, including a 
                contract entered into under section 1703 of this title; 
                and
                    ``(B) licensed to practice the health care 
                profession of the health care professional.
            ``(2) The term `telemedicine' means the use of 
        telecommunication technology and information technology to 
        support the provision of health care in situations where the 
        patient and health care professional are separated by 
        geographic distance.
    ``(d) Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to 
remove, limit, or otherwise affect any obligation of a covered health 
care professional under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et 
seq.).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1730A the following new item:

``1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing treatment via 
                            telemedicine.''.
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