,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fhee  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ac1 #bjbj,ms4  
,snchez introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,ways and ,means  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend  
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  
,act to ensure communications           
accessibility for residents of skilled  
nursing facilities during the           
,,covid-#ai emergency period4  #a4      
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,facilitating ,virtual ,visitation  
for ,nursing ,home ,residents ,act of   
#bjbj4  #b4 ,ensuring communications    
accessibility for residents of skilled  
nursing facilities during the           
,,covid-#ai emergency period  7a7 ,in   
general ,section #ahai7;c77#c7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acie;i-#c7;c77#c77 is amended-- 7#a7 in
 subparagraph 7,d71 by striking and at  
the end2  7#b7 in subparagraph 7,e71 by 
striking the period and inserting 2 and2
 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the     

following new subparagraph3  7,f7       
provide for reasonable access to the use
 of a telephone1 including ,,tty and    
,,tdd services 7as defined for purposes 
of section #dhc4aj of title #db1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations 7or a successor
 regulation771 and the internet 7to the 
extent available to the facility7 and   
inform each such resident 7or a         
representative of such resident7 of such
 access and any changes in policies or  
procedures of such facility relating to 
limitations on external visitors4  4    
7b7 ,,covid-#ai provisions  7#a7        
,guidance ,not later than #ae days after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human   
,service shall issue guidance on steps  
skilled nursing facilities may take to  
ensure residents have access to         
televisitation during the emergency     
period defined in section               
#aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b774 ,such guidance

 shall include information on how such  
facilities will notify residents of such
 facilities1 representatives of such    
residents1 and relatives of such        
residents of the rights of such         
residents to such televisitation1 and   
ensure timely and equitable access to   
such televisitation4  7#b7 ,review of   
facilities ,the ,secretary of ,health   
and ,human ,services shall take such    
steps as determined appropriate by the  
,secretary to ensure that residents of  
skilled nursing facilities and relatives
 of such residents are made aware of the
 access rights described in section     
#ahai7;c77#c77;,f7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acie;i-#c7;c77#c77;,f774