,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdhg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aj1 #bjbj,ms4
 ,schakowsky 7for herself and ,mr4 ,king
 of ,new ,york7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,appropriations1 and in   
addition to the ,committees on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 ,ways and ,means1 and the
 ,budget1 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 increase the ability of  
nursing facilities to access telehealth 
services and obtain technologies to     
allow virtual visits during the public  
health emergency relating to an outbreak
 of coronavirus disease #bjai           
7,,covid-#ai71 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,advancing ,connectivity during 
the ,coronavirus to ,ensure ,support for
 ,seniors ,act or the ,,access ,act4  ,i

 ,supplemental appropriations  #aja4    
,supplemental appropriations ,the       
following sums are hereby appropriated1 
out of any money in the ,treasury not   
otherwise appropriated1 for the fiscal  
year ending ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 and  
for other purposes1 namely3  ,department
 of ,health and ,human ,services        
,health resources and services          
administration  rural health ,for an    
additional amount for the ,telehealth   
,resource ,center of the ,federal       
,office of ,rural ,health ,policy of the
 ,office for the ,advancement of        
,telehealth1 to provide assistance with 
respect to technical1 legal1 regulatory 
service delivery or other related       
barriers to the development of          
telehealth technologies for skilled     
nursing facilities 7as defined in       
section #ahai of the ,social ,security  
,act7 and nursing facilities 7as defined
 in section #aiai of such ,act71        
#ej1jjj1jjj to remain available through 
,september #cj1 #bjba4  ,,ii ,increased 

,access to ,telehealth ,services and    
,other ,technologies  #bja4 ,definitions
 ,in this title3 7#a7 ,,covid-#ai public
 health emergency period ,the term      
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
period means the portion of the         
emergency period defined in paragraph   
7#a77;,b7 of section #aace7;g7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acbj;b-#e7;g77 beginning on or after   
the date of the enactment of this ,act4 
7#b7 ,medicaid program ,the term        
,medicaid program means1 with respect to
 a ,state1 the ,state program under     
title ,,xix of the ,social ,security    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq47      
7including any waiver or demonstration  
under such title or under section #aaae 
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae7      
relating to such title74  7#c7 ,medicare
 ,the term ,medicare means the program  
of health insurance for the aged and    
disabled established under title ,,xviii
 of the ,social ,security ,act4  7#d7   
,nursing facility ,the term nursing     

facility has the meaning given that term
 in section #aiai7;a7 of the ,social    
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acifr7a774  7#e7 ,secretary ,the term  
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,health and ,human ,services4  7#f7     
,skilled nursing facility ,the term     
skilled nursing facility has the meaning
 given that term in section #ahai7;a7 of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#c7;a774  7#g7 ,state 
,the term ,state has the meaning given  
such term for purposes of title ,,xix of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq474  #bjb4        
,identification of barriers to nursing  
facilities accessing telehealth services
 under ,medicare and ,medicaid during   
the ,,covid-#ai public health emergency 
7a7 ,congressional briefing ,not later  
than #ae days after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall brief the congressional committees
 specified in subsection 7c7 on options 
for immediately increasing access during

 the ,,covid-#ai public health emergency
 period to telehealth services for which
 payment is available under ,medicare   
for skilled nursing facilities and under
 ,medicaid for nursing facilities4 ,the 
briefing shall also include-- 7#a7      
information regarding the extent to     
which access to telehealth services is  
required for any facilities that are    
temporarily designated during the       
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
period as participating providers under 
,medicare1 ,medicaid1 or both1 for      
purposes of furnishing skilled nursing  
services or nursing facility services to
 individuals who are eligible for such  
services under ,medicare or ,medicaid2  
and  7#b7 recommendations for such      
administrative and legislative actions1 
including with respect to funding1 as   
the ,secretary determines are necessary4
  7b7 ,report ,the ,secretary shall     
submit a report to the congressional    
committees specified in subsection 7c7  
after the briefing required under       

subsection 7a7 occurs that includes a   
summary of the briefing1 any new or     
additional information requested during 
such briefing1 and such other           
information as the ,secretary determines
 appropriate4  7c7 ,congressional       
committees specified ,the congressional 
committees specified in this subsection 
are the following3 7#a7 ,the ,committees
 on ,energy and ,commerce and ,ways and 
,means of the ,house of                 
,representatives4  7#b7 ,the ,committees
 on ,finance1 ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions1 ,commerce1       
,science1 and ,transportation1 and the  
,special ,committee on ,aging of the    
,senate4  #bjc4 ,authority to award     
grants to nursing facilities for        
supporting virtual visits during the    
,,covid-#ai public health emergency  7a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award
 grants directly to skilled nursing     
facilities and nursing facilities in    
accordance with this section to support 
virtual visits by family members and    

other individuals for residents of such 
facilities during the ,,covid-#ai public
 health emergency period4  7b7          
,coordination ,the ,secretary shall     
coordinate with the ,federal            
,communications ,commission to ensure   
that all facilities awarded a grant     
under this section are able to carry out
 the purposes described in subsection   
7d71 including through the provision of 
telecommunications and broadband        
services necessary to support virtual   
visits described in subsection 7a74  7c7
 ,application requirements ,a facility  
seeking a grant under this section shall
 submit an application to the ,secretary
 at such time1 in such form and manner1 
and containing such information as the  
,secretary shall require4  7d7 ,use of  
funds ,a facility awarded a grant under 
this section may only use the funds for 
expenditures attributable to obtaining  
and using-- 7#a7 technologies to support
 virtual visits described in subsection 
7a72 and  7#b7 any other items or       

services necessary to carry out such    
visits4  7e7 ,limitations  7#a7         
,termination of authority ,the          
,secretary shall not award any grants   
under this section after the end of the 
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
period4  7#b7 ,supplement1 not supplant 
,federal funds paid to a skilled nursing
 facility or a nursing facility pursuant
 to this section must be used to        
supplement1 but not supplant1 any other 
,federal1 ,state1 or local funds        
available to the facility that may be   
used for a purpose specified in         
subsection 7d74  7f7 ,guidance ,not     
later than #ae days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall issue guidance on steps
 facilities awarded grants under this   
section shall take to ensure residents  
of such facilities have access to       
virtual visitation during the           
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
period and how such access shall be     
facilitated by such facilities4 ,such   

guidance shall include options for how  
such facilities will ensure notification
 of residents and resident              
representatives of such virtual         
visitation access and facilitation1     
address how adequate support will be    
provided to residents to facilitate     
virtual visitation1 address how         
facilities will ensure or enable        
installation and access to a device     
purchased for the use or benefit of     
individual or multiple facility         
residents1 and address operational      
issues and avoid unnecessary barriers to
 timely deployment of virtual           
visitation4  7g7 ,report ,not later than
 #cj days after the end of the          
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
period1 the ,secretary shall submit a   
report to ,congress on the grants       
awarded under this section4  7h7        
,appropriation ,there are appropriated  
to the ,secretary for fiscal year #bjbj1
 from any funds in the ,treasury not    
otherwise appropriated1 such sums as are

 necessary to carry out this section1 to
 remain available through the last day  
of the month following the month in     
which the ,,covid-#ai public health     
emergency period ends4  ,,iii           
,miscellaneous  #cja4 ,emergency        
designation  7a7 ,in general ,the       
amounts provided by this ,act are       
designated as an emergency requirement  
pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the       
,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of    
#bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774  7b7     
,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1
 this ,act is designated as an emergency
 requirement pursuant to section        
#daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth
 ,congress71 the concurrent resolution  
on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4