,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bagj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #h1   
#bjae,mrs4 ,ernst 7for herself1 ,ms4    
,hirono1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,udall1 ,mr4
 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,sessions1 ,mr4 ,boozman1
 ,mr4 ,rounds1 ,ms4 ,ayotte1 ,mr4       
,grassley1 and ,mr4 ,heinrich7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to improve the ability of
 health care professionals to treat     
veterans through the use of             
telemedicine1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,veterans ,e-,health and        
,telemedicine ,support ,act of #bjae or 
the ,,vets ,act of #bjae4  #b4          
,licensure of health care professionals 
of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs
 providing treatment via telemedicine   
7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ag of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  

by inserting after section #agcj;,a the 
following new section3  #agcj;,b4       
,licensure of health care professionals 
providing treatment via telemedicine    
7a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any    
provision of law regarding the licensure
 of health care professionals1 a covered
 health care professional may practice  
the health care profession of the health
 care professional at any location in   
any ,state1 regardless of where such    
health care professional or the patient 
is located1 if the health care          
professional is using telemedicine to   
provide treatment to an individual under
 this chapter4  7b7 ,property of        
,federal ,government ,subsection 7a7    
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        
treatment4  7c7 ,construction ,nothing  
in this section may be construed to     

remove1 limit1 or otherwise affect any  
obligation of a covered health care     
professional under the ,controlled      
,substances ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #hja et 
seq474  7d7 ,definitions ,in this       
section3 7#a7 ,the term covered health  
care professional means a health care   
professional who is--  7,a7 authorized  
by the ,secretary to provide health care
 under this chapter1 including a private
 health care professional who provides  
such care under a contract entered into 
with the ,secretary1 including a        
contract entered into under section     
#agjc of this title2 and  7,b7 licensed1
 registered1 or certified in a ,state to
 practice the health care profession of 
the health care professional4  7#b7 ,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 distance4  4    

7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of chapter #ag
 of such title is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section      
#agcj;,a the following new item3        
#agcj;,b4 ,licensure of health care     
professionals providing treatment via   
telemedicine4  4  7c7 ,report on        
telemedicine  7#a7 ,in general ,not     
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 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 ,affairs4  7#b7 ,elements ,the
 report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall
 include an assessment of the following3
 7,a7 ,the satisfaction of veterans with
 telemedicine furnished by the          
,department4  7,b7 ,the satisfaction of 
health care providers in providing      

telemedicine furnished by the           
,department4  7,c7 ,the effect of       
telemedicine furnished by the           
,department on the following3  7i7 ,the 
ability of veterans to access health    
care1 whether from the ,department or   
from non-,department health care        
providers4  7ii7 ,the frequency of use  
by veterans of telemedicine4  7iii7 ,the
 productivity of health care providers4 
7iv7 ,wait times for an appointment for 
the receipt of health care from the     
,department4  7v7 ,the reduction1 if    
any1 in the use by veterans of services 
at ,department facilities and           
non-,department facilities4  7,d7 ,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 report4  7,e7 ,the     
number of appointments for the receipt  
of telemedicine furnished by the        
,department that were requested during  
such period1 disaggregated by ,veterans 

,integrated ,service ,network4  7,f7    
,savings by the ,department1 if any1    
including travel costs1 of furnishing   
health care through the use of          
telemedicine during such period4  7#c7  
,telemedicine defined ,in this          
subsection1 the term telemedicine has   
the meaning given that term in section  
#agcj;,b7d77#b7 of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a74