,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dijj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #bi1        
#bjai,mr4 ,david ,p4 ,roe of ,tennessee 
7for himself and ,mr4 ,kustoff of       
,tennessee7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health
 ,service ,act to establish a national  
telehealth program1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,telehealth ,across 
,state ,lines ,act of #bjai4  #b4       
,national telehealth program ,subpart ,i
 of part ,d of title ,,iii of the       
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b et seq47 is amended by 
adding at the end the following3        

#ccj,n4 ,national telehealth program    
7a7 ,uniform national best practices    
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall1 
in consultation with a range of         
stakeholders including the entities     
listed in paragraph 7#c71 issue guidance
 on uniform best practices for the      
provision of telehealth across ,state   
lines4  7#b7 ,objective ,the objective  
of the best practices issued under      
paragraph 7#a7 shall be to1 not later   
than #e years after the date of         
enactment of this section1 provide      
high-quality telehealth in rural areas  
across the ,united ,states4  7#c7       
,consultation ,the entities listed in   
this paragraph include-- 7,a7 technology
 experts2  7,b7 data security experts2  
7,c7 primary care providers2  7,d7      
specialist providers2  7,e7 mental      
health providers2  7,f7 academic medical
 centers2  7,g7 ,federally qualified    
health centers1 as defined in section   
#ahfa7;aa7 of the ,social ,security     
,act2  7,h7 ,state1 local1 or tribal    

health departments2  7,i7 critical      
access hospitals2 and  7,j7 any ,federal
 agency with expertise in the provision 
of telecommunications or telehealth4    
7#d7 ,reports ,the ,secretary shall1 not
 less than once every year beginning #a 
year after the date of enactment of this
 section and ending on the date on which
 the guidance under paragraph 7#a7 is   
issued1 report to the ,committee on     
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives on the   
progress of such guidance4  7b7 ,grant  
program  7#a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary shall for each of fiscal     
years #bjbj through #bjbd award grants  
to eligible entities described in       
paragraph 7#b7 for the expansion of     
telehealth programs to rural areas4     
7#b7 ,eligible entity ,to be eligible to
 receive a grant under this subsection1 
an entity shall-- 7,a7 demonstrate that 
it is operating1 on the date on which   

the entity submits an application under 
subparagraph 7,b71 an effective         
telehealth program 7as determined in    
accordance with criteria established by 
the ,secretary72 and  7,b7 submit an    
application to the ,secretary at such   
time1 in such manner1 and containing    
such information as the ,secretary may  
reasonably require1 including a plan to 
expand the telehealth program operated  
by the entity to rural areas4  7#c7     
,study ,not later than #c years after   
the date of enactment of this section1  
the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 complete a  
study on the grant program under this   
subsection1 including the successes and 
challenges of the program1 lessons the  
,secretary has learned with respect to  
the program1 and best practices for     
telehealth programs2 and  7,b7 submit a 
report on such study to the ,committee  
on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and     
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives4  7#d7   

,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to     
carry out this subsection1 #bj1jjj1jjj  
for each of fiscal years #bjbj through  
#bjbd4  7c7 ,definition of rural area   
,in this section1 the term rural area   
has the meaning given the term in       
section #ccj;,j7e74  4  #c4 ,center for 
,medicare and ,medicaid ,innovation     
7,,cmmi7 model to incentivize the       
adoption of telehealth in order to      
increase access to care in rural areas  
,section #aaae;,a7b77#b77;,b7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acie;a7b77#b77;,b77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     
clause3  7xxviii7 ,providing incentives 
under title ,,xviii to encourage the    
adoption of telehealth in order to      
increase access to care in rural areas4 
4