[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1283

 To establish a program for the delivery of mental health services by 
                              telehealth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2001

  Mr. Johnson introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a program for the delivery of mental health services by 
                              telehealth.

    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 ``Telehealth Mental Health Services 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERED VIA TELEHEALTH.

    Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 330I. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERED VIA TELEHEALTH.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        public or nonprofit private telehealth provider network that 
        offers services that include mental health services provided by 
        qualified mental health providers.
            ``(2) Qualified mental health education professionals.--The 
        term `qualified mental health education professionals' refers 
        to teachers, community mental health professionals, nurses, and 
        other entities as determined by the Secretary who have 
        additional training in the delivery of information on mental 
        illness to children and adolescents or who have additional 
        training in the delivery of information on mental illness to 
        the elderly.
            ``(3) Qualified mental health professionals.--The term 
        `qualified mental health professionals' refers to providers of 
        mental health services reimbursed under the medicare program 
        carried out under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) who have additional training in the 
        treatment of mental illness in children and adolescents or who 
        have additional training in the treatment of mental illness in 
        the elderly.
            ``(4) Special populations.--The term `special populations' 
        refers to the following 2 distinct groups:
                    ``(A) Children and adolescents located in public 
                elementary and public secondary schools in mental 
                health underserved rural areas or in mental health 
                underserved urban areas.
                    ``(B) Elderly individuals located in long-term care 
                facilities in mental health underserved rural areas.
            ``(5) Telehealth.--The term `telehealth' means the use of 
        electronic information and telecommunications technologies to 
        support long distance clinical health care, patient and 
        professional health-related education, public health, and 
        health administration.
    ``(b) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth of the 
        Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award 
        grants to eligible entities to establish demonstration projects 
        for the provision of mental health services to special 
        populations as delivered remotely by qualified mental health 
        professionals using telehealth and for the provision of 
        education regarding mental illness as delivered remotely by 
        qualified mental health professionals and qualified mental 
        health education professionals using telehealth.
            ``(2) Number of demonstration projects.--Ten grants shall 
        be awarded under paragraph (1) to provide services for the 
        children and adolescents described in subsection (a)(4)(A) and 
        not fewer than 6 of such grants shall be for services rendered 
        to individuals in rural areas. Ten grants shall also be awarded 
        under paragraph (1) to provide services for the elderly 
        individuals described in subsection (a)(4)(B) in rural areas. 
        If the maximum number of grants to be awarded under paragraph 
        (1) is not awarded, the Secretary shall award the grants under 
        paragraph (1) in a manner that distributes the grants so as to 
        serve equitably the populations described in subparagraphs (A) 
        and (B) of subsection (a)(4).
    ``(c) Amount.--Each entity that receives a grant under subsection 
(b) shall receive not less than $1,500,000 under the grant, and shall 
use not more than 40 percent of the grant funds for equipment.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under this section shall use the grant funds--
                    ``(A) for the populations described in subsection 
                (a)(4)(A)--
                            ``(i) to provide mental health services, 
                        including diagnosis and treatment of mental 
                        illness, in public elementary and public 
                        secondary schools as delivered remotely by 
                        qualified mental health professionals using 
                        telehealth;
                            ``(ii) to provide education regarding 
                        mental illness (including suicide and violence) 
                        in public elementary and public secondary 
                        schools as delivered remotely by qualified 
                        mental health professionals and qualified 
                        mental health education professionals using 
                        telehealth, including education regarding early 
                        recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental 
                        illness, and instruction on coping and dealing 
                        with stressful experiences of childhood and 
                        adolescence (such as violence, social 
                        isolation, and depression); and
                            ``(iii) to collaborate with local public 
                        health entities to provide the mental health 
                        services; and
                    ``(B) for the populations described in subsection 
                (a)(4)(B)--
                            ``(i) to provide mental health services, 
                        including diagnosis and treatment of mental 
                        illness, in long-term care facilities as 
                        delivered remotely by qualified mental health 
                        professionals using telehealth;
                            ``(ii) to provide education regarding 
                        mental illness to primary staff (including 
                        physicians, nurses, and nursing aides) as 
                        delivered remotely by qualified mental health 
                        professionals and qualified mental health 
                        education professionals using telehealth, 
                        including education regarding early recognition 
                        of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, 
                        and instruction on coping and dealing with 
                        stressful experiences of old age (such as loss 
                        of physical and cognitive capabilities, death 
                        of loved ones and friends, social isolation, 
                        and depression); and
                            ``(iii) to collaborate with local public 
                        health entities to provide the mental health 
                        services.
            ``(2) Other uses.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under this section may also use the grant funds to--
                    ``(A) acquire telehealth equipment to use in public 
                elementary and public secondary schools and long-term 
                care facilities for the objectives of this section;
                    ``(B) develop curricula to support activities 
                described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B)(ii) of 
                paragraph (1);
                    ``(C) pay telecommunications costs; and
                    ``(D) pay qualified mental health professionals and 
                qualified mental health education professionals on a 
                reasonable cost basis as determined by the Secretary 
                for services rendered.
            ``(3) Prohibited uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section shall not use the grant funds to--
                    ``(A) purchase or install transmission equipment 
                (other than such equipment used by qualified mental 
                health professionals to deliver mental health services 
                using telehealth under the project involved); or
                    ``(B) build upon or acquire real property (except 
                for minor renovations related to the installation of 
                reimbursable equipment).
    ``(e) Equitable Distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall ensure, to the greatest extent possible, 
that such grants are equitably distributed among geographical regions 
of the United States.
    ``(f) Application.--An entity that desires a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
determines to be reasonable.
    ``(g) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment 
of the Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2001, the Secretary shall 
prepare and submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress 
that shall evaluate activities funded with grants under this section.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $30,000,000 for fiscal year 
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2003 through 
2009.
    ``(i) Sunset Provision.--This section shall be effective for 7 
years from the date of enactment of this section.''.
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