VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act

VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act

This bill authorizes additional individuals to provide treatment to veterans via telemedicine.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the following individuals to provide treatment to veterans via telemedicine:

• specified health care professionals who have the qualifications set forth by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);
• appointed postgraduate health care employees who are under clinical supervision and must obtain an active, current, full, and unrestricted certification or meet qualification standards set forth by the VA in a specified time frame; and
• VA health professional trainees who are under the supervision of a VA health care professional who is authorized to provide health care via telemedicine.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3643 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3643

      To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize certain 
 postgraduate health care employees and health professions trainees of 
      the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment via 
                 telemedicine, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2020

  Mrs. Loeffler (for herself and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize certain 
 postgraduate health care employees and health professions trainees of 
      the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment via 
                 telemedicine, and for other purposes.

    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 ``VA Mission Telehealth Clarification 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTH CARE 
              PROFESSIONALS PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE.

    Section 1730C(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
    ``(b) Covered Health Care Professionals.--For purposes of this 
section, a covered health care professional is any of the following 
individuals:
            ``(1) A health care professional who--
                    ``(A) is an employee of the Department appointed 
                under section 7306, 7401, 7405, 7406, or 7408 of this 
                title or title 5;
                    ``(B) is authorized by the Secretary to provide 
                health care under this chapter;
                    ``(C) is required to adhere to all standards for 
                quality relating to the provision of health care in 
                accordance with applicable policies of the Department; 
                and
                    ``(D)(i) has an active, current, full, and 
                unrestricted license, registration, or certification in 
                a State to practice the health care profession of the 
                health care professional; or
                    ``(ii) with respect to a health care profession 
                listed under section 7402(b) of this title, has the 
                qualifications for such profession as set forth by the 
                Secretary.
            ``(2) A postgraduate health care employee who--
                    ``(A) is appointed under section 7401(1), 7401(3), 
                or 7405 of this title or title 5 for any category of 
                personnel described in paragraph (1) or (3) of section 
                7401 of this title;
                    ``(B) must obtain an active, current, full, and 
                unrestricted license, registration, or certification or 
                meet qualification standards set forth by the Secretary 
                within a specified time frame; and
                    ``(C) is under the clinical supervision of a health 
                care professional described in paragraph (1).
            ``(3) A health professions trainee who--
                    ``(A) is appointed under section 7405 or 7406 of 
                this title; and
                    ``(B) is under the clinical supervision of a health 
                care professional described in paragraph (1).''.
                                 <all>