#aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#ibe  ,,an ,,act  ,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 #bjag or 
the ,,vets ,act of #bjag4  #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 the     
covered health care professional or the 
patient is located1 if the covered      
health care professional is using       
telemedicine to provide treatment to an 
individual under this chapter4  7b7     
,covered health care professionals ,for 
purposes of this section1 a covered     
health care professional is any health  
care professional who-- 7#a7 is an      
employee of the ,department appointed   
under the authority under section #gcjf1
 #gdja1 #gdje1 #gdjf1 or #gdjh of this  
title or title #e2  7#b7 is authorized  
by the ,secretary to provide health care
 under this chapter2  7#c7 is required  
to adhere to all standards of quality   
relating to the provision of medicine in
 accordance with applicable policies of 
the ,department2 and  7#d7 has an       
active1 current1 full1 and unrestricted 
license1 registration1 or certification 
in a ,state to practice the health care 
profession of the health care           
professional4  7c7 ,property of ,federal

 government ,subsection 7a7 shall apply 
to a covered health care professional   
providing treatment to a patient        
regardless of whether the covered health
 care professional or patient is located
 in a facility owned by the ,federal    
,government during such treatment4  7d7 
,relation to ,state law  7#a7 ,the      
provisions of this section shall        
supersede any provisions of the law of  
any ,state to the extent that such      
provision of ,state law are inconsistent
 with this section4  7#b7 ,no ,state    
shall deny or revoke the license1       
registration1 or certification of a     
covered health care professional who    
otherwise meets the qualifications of   
the ,state for holding the license1     
registration1 or certification on the   
basis that the covered health care      
professional has engaged or intends to  
engage in activity covered by subsection
 7a74  7e7 ,rule of 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  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 earlier of
 the date on which services provided    
under section #agcj;,b of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 as added by      
subsection 7a71 first occur or          
regulations are promulgated to carry out
 such section1 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 use by veterans  
of in-person 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 medical   
facility4  7,f7 ,savings by the         
,department1 if any1 including travel   
costs1 from furnishing health care      
through the use of telemedicine during  
such period4  ,passed the ,senate       
,january #c1 #bjah4,secretary