[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5506 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5506

 To establish a Rural Telehealth Access Task Force to determine how to 
address barriers to the adoption of telehealth technology and access to 
    broadband internet access service in rural areas, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2021

 Mr. Pence (for himself and Ms. Craig) introduced the following bill; 
  which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
     addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a Rural Telehealth Access Task Force to determine how to 
address barriers to the adoption of telehealth technology and access to 
    broadband internet access service in rural areas, 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 ``Rural Telehealth Access Task Force 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL TELEHEALTH ACCESS TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Commission shall establish a task force 
to be known as the ``Rural Telehealth Access Task Force'' (in this 
section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following:
            (1) The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information.
            (2) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (4) The Chairperson of the Federal Communications 
        Commission.
            (5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
    (c) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Federal Communications 
Commission shall serve as the Chairperson of the Task Force.
    (d) Duties.--The Task Force shall carry out the following duties:
            (1) Identify barriers and opportunities to telehealth 
        service in rural areas.
            (2) Identify barriers to, and opportunities for, 
        utilization of telehealth services in rural areas.
            (3) Identify opportunities for coordination among covered 
        agencies and across high-cost programs to prevent duplication 
        of effort or overbuilding of existing or planned broadband 
        internet access service projects.
            (4) Evaluate the adoption and usage rates of telehealth 
        services in rural areas.
            (5) Evaluate how expanded access to telehealth services can 
        address health disparities in rural patients.
            (6) Determine how to expand access to broadband internet 
        access service for telehealth services in rural areas, 
        including--
                    (A) rural health systems; and
                    (B) internet service providers.
            (7) Develop recommendations on how to use current high cost 
        broadband resources to expand access to telehealth services in 
        rural areas.
    (e) Information Sharing.--The covered agencies shall share 
information with the Task Force on existing or planned broadband 
internet access service projects that may be useful in carrying out the 
duties of the Task Force in subsection (c).
    (f) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 
that--
            (1) details the findings and recommendations of the Task 
        Force; and
            (2) includes an identification of other telehealth issues 
        or recommendations that the Task Forces determines is 
        appropriate.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
        ``broadband internet access service'' has the meaning give such 
        term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (3) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means--
                    (A) the Commission;
                    (B) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (C) the Department of Health and Human Services; 
                and
                    (D) the National Telecommunications and Information 
                Administration.
            (4) High-cost program.--The term ``high-cost program'' 
        includes the following:
                    (A) Subpart D of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as ``Universal Service 
                Support for High Cost Areas'').
                    (B) Subpart J of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as the ``Remote Areas 
                Fund'').
                    (C) Subpart K of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as the ``Interstate Common 
                Line Support Mechanism for Rate-of-Return Carriers'').
                    (D) Subpart L of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as the ``Mobility Fund'').
                    (E) Subpart M of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as the ``High Cost Loop 
                Support for Rate-of-Return Carriers'').
                    (F) The connected care pilot program (85 Fed. Reg. 
                19896).
                    (G) Section 1734 of title 7, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (commonly known as the ``Distance Learning 
                and Telemedicine Grant Program'').
                    (H) The COVID-19 telehealth program (86 Fed. Reg. 
                8356).
                    (I) Section 902 of the Consolidated Appropriations 
                Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-133).
                    (J) Section 905(c) of the Consolidated 
                Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-133).
            (5) Rural; rural area.--The terms ``rural'' and ``rural 
        area'' mean any area other than a city or town that has a 
        population greater than 50,000 inhabitants.
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