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.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line