[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2170 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2170

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the ability of health 
 care professionals to treat veterans through the use of telemedicine, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 8, 2015

Mrs. Ernst (for herself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Udall, Mr. Tillis, 
 Mr. Sessions, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Rounds, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Grassley, and 
 Mr. Heinrich) 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 improve the ability of health 
 care professionals to treat veterans through the use of 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 ``Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine 
Support Act of 2015'' or the ``VETS Act of 2015''.

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 inserting 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 care profession of the health care 
professional at any location in any State, 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) 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.).
    ``(d) 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, registered, or certified in a State 
                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 
        provide health care or support the provision of health care in 
        situations in which the patient and health care professional 
        are separated by geographic distance.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title 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.''.
    (c) Report on Telemedicine.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the use of 
        telemedicine by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include an assessment of the following:
                    (A) The satisfaction of veterans with telemedicine 
                furnished by the Department.
                    (B) The satisfaction of health care providers in 
                providing telemedicine furnished by the Department.
                    (C) The effect of telemedicine furnished by the 
                Department on the following:
                            (i) The ability of veterans to access 
                        health care, whether from the Department or 
                        from non-Department health care providers.
                            (ii) The frequency of use by veterans of 
                        telemedicine.
                            (iii) The productivity of health care 
                        providers.
                            (iv) Wait times for an appointment for the 
                        receipt of health care from the Department.
                            (v) The reduction, if any, in the use by 
                        veterans of services at Department facilities 
                        and non-Department facilities.
                    (D) The types of appointments for the receipt of 
                telemedicine furnished by the Department that were 
                provided during the one-year period preceding the 
                submittal of the report.
                    (E) The number of appointments for the receipt of 
                telemedicine furnished by the Department that were 
                requested during such period, disaggregated by Veterans 
                Integrated Service Network.
                    (F) Savings by the Department, if any, including 
                travel costs, of furnishing health care through the use 
                of telemedicine during such period.
            (3) Telemedicine defined.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``telemedicine'' has the meaning given that term in section 
        1730B(d)(2) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a).
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