[114th Congress Public Law 40]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 129 STAT. 441]]

Public Law 114-40
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare 
  beneficiary access to eye tracking accessories for speech generating 
devices and to remove the rental cap for durable medical equipment under 
         the Medicare Program with respect to speech generating 
              devices. <<NOTE: July 30, 2015 -  [S. 984]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Steve Gleason 
Act of 2015.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1305 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Steve Gleason Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. PROVIDING MEDICARE BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO EYE TRACKING 
                    ACCESSORIES FOR SPEECH GENERATING DEVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(n) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(n)) is amended by inserting ``and eye tracking and gaze 
interaction accessories for speech generating devices furnished to 
individuals with a demonstrated medical need for such accessories'' 
after ``appropriate organizations)''.
    (b) <<NOTE: 42 USC 1395x note.>> Effective Date.--The amendment made 
by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to devices furnished on or 
after January 1, 2016.
SEC. 3. REMOVING THE RENTAL CAP FOR DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT 
                    UNDER MEDICARE WITH RESPECT TO SPEECH 
                    GENERATING DEVICES.

    Section 1834(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(a)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (iii), by adding ``or'' at the end; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new 
        clause:
                          ``(iv) <<NOTE: Time period.>>  in the case of 
                      devices furnished on or after October 1, 2015, and 
                      before October 1, 2018, which serves as a speech 
                      generating device or which is an

[[Page 129 STAT. 442]]

                      accessory that is needed for the individual to 
                      effectively utilize such a device,''.

    Approved July 30, 2015.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 984:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114-178, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Ways and Means).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015):
            Apr. 22, considered and passed Senate.
            July 15, considered and passed House.

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