,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chch  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ba1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,murkowski1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,peters1
 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 ,mr4       
,cramer1 and ,mr4 ,markey7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide for the        
expansion of the ,rural ,health ,care   
,program of the ,federal ,communications
 ,commission in response to ,,covid-#ai1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,health ,care ,broadband ,expansion     
,during ,,covid-#ai ,act4  #b4          
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,commission ,the term ,commission means 
the ,federal ,communications            
,commission4  7#b7 ,eligible equipment  
,the term eligible equipment means the  
equipment described in section #ed4fac  
of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal         

,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation4  7#c7 ,eligible service     
provider ,the term eligible service     
provider means a provider described in  
section #ed4fjh of title #dg1 ,code of  
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation4  7#d7 ,funding year ,the    
term funding year has the meaning given 
the term in section #ed4fjj7;a7 of title
 #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or
 any successor regulation4  7#e7 ,health
 care provider ,the term health care    
provider has the meaning given the term 
in section #ed4fjj7;b7 of title #dg1    
,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any  
successor regulation4  7#f7 ,healthcare 
,connect ,fund ,program ,the term       
,healthcare ,connect ,fund ,program     
means the program described in section  
#ed4fjb7;b7 of title #dg1 ,code of      
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation4  7#g7 ,multi-year           
commitments ,the term multi-year        
commitments means the commitments       
described in section #ed4fbj7;c7 of     

title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation4  7#h7 ,rural area ,the term 
rural area has the meaning given the    
term in section #ed4fjj7;e7 of title    
#dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or 
any successor regulation4  7#i7 ,rural  
,health ,care ,program ,the term ,rural 
,health ,care ,program means the program
 described in subpart ,g of part #ed of 
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation4  7#aj7 ,rural health care   
provider ,the term rural health care    
provider has the meaning given the term 
in section #ed4fjj7;f7 of title #dg1    
,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any  
successor regulation4  7#aa7            
,telecommunications ,program ,the term  
,telecommunications ,program has the    
meaning given such term in section      
#ed4fjb7;a7 of title #dg1 ,code of      
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation4  7#ab7 ,upfront payments    
,the term upfront payments means the    

payments described in section #ed4faf of
 title #dg1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation4  #c4 ,expansion of rural    
health care program of ,,fcc in response
 to ,,covid-#ai  7a7 ,promulgation of   
regulations required ,not later than #g 
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,commission shall promulgate 
regulations modifying the requirements  
in subpart ,g of part #ed of title #dg1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations1 in the  
following manner3 7#a7 ,a health care   
provider not located in a rural area    
shall be treated as a rural health care 
provider for the purposes of the        
,healthcare ,connect ,fund ,program4    
7#b7 ,the discount rate for an eligible 
expense through the ,healthcare ,connect
 ,fund ,program 7as described in section
 #ed4faa7;a7 of title #dg1 ,code of     
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation7 shall be increased to #he   
percent in funding years #bjai1 #bjbj1  
and #bjba for eligible equipment        

purchased or eligible services rendered 
in such funding years1 including for    
eligible equipment1 upfront payments1   
and multi-year commitments without      
limitation4  7#c7 ,a temporary1 mobile1 
or satellite health care delivery site  
shall be treated as a health care       
provider or an eligible site of a health
 care provider for purposes of          
determining eligibility for the         
,healthcare ,connect ,fund ,program or  
the ,telecommunications ,program4  7#d7 
,the waiver of the application window   
specified in section #ed4fba7;a7 of     
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation1 for funding year #bjai4     
7#e7 ,the adoption and implementation of
 a rolling application process to allow 
a health care provider to apply for     
funding4  7#f7 ,the following changes to
 certain bidding requirements3 7,a7 ,a  
waiver of any requirement under section 
#ed4fbb of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal 
,regulations1 or any successor          

regulation1 for a health care provider  
upgrading an existing supported service 
at a particular location1 effective as  
of the date of declaration of the public
 health emergency pursuant to section   
#cai of the ,public ,health ,service    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 as a result 
of confirmed cases of ,,covid-#ai1 if   
the health care provider maintains the  
same eligible service provider to       
provide the upgraded service at such    
location4  7,b7 ,reduction of the       
#bh-;day waiting period described in    
section #ed4fbb7;g7 of title #dg1 ,code 
of ,federal ,regulations1 or any        
successor regulation1 to a #ad-;day     
waiting period4  7,c7 ,modification of  
the requirements in section #ed4fbb of  
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation1 to-- 7i7 provide that bid   
evaluation criteria may give additional 
consideration to the speed with which an
 eligible service provider can initiate 
service2 and  7ii7 encourage applicants 

to consider bids from different         
providers to provide service to         
different locations of such applicants1 
if considering bids in this manner would
 expedite the overall timeline for      
initiating or expanding service to      
individual locations4  7#g7 ,issuance of
 a decision on each application for     
funding not later than #fj days after   
the date on which the application is    
filed4  7#h7 ,release of funding not    
later than #cj days after the date on   
which an invoice is submitted with      
respect to an application that is       
approved1 applicable services have been 
provided1 and required invoices have    
been submitted as required under program
 rules4  7b7 ,additional changes to     
,rural ,health ,care ,program  7#a7     
,release of funding for outstanding     
funding requests  7,a7 ,in general ,the 
,commission shall ensure the release of 
funding for all requests 7outstanding as
 of the date of enactment of this ,act7 
under the ,rural ,health ,care ,program 

not later than #fj days after the date  
of enactment of this ,act1 except that  
for outstanding funding requests that   
are subject to a review of the          
applicable urban and rural rates1 the   
,commission shall ensure the release of 
interim funding not later than #fj days 
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 disbursed at #fe percent of the   
funding request1 subject to a true-up   
following the completion of such review4
  7,b7 ,limitation ,this paragraph shall
 not apply to any party or              
successor-in-interest to any party to   
which the ,commission1 during the period
 beginning on the date that is #a year  
before the date of enactment of this    
,act and ending on ,january #ca1 #bjbj1 
has issued a ,letter of ,inquiry1       
,notice of ,apparent ,liability1 or     
,forfeiture ,order relating to the      
party's participation in the ,rural     
,health ,care ,program1 pursuant to     
section #ejc7;b7 of the ,communications 
,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ejc7;b774 

7,c7 ,required repayment ,in the case of
 an eligible service provider that      
receives funding through the ,rural     
,health ,care ,program pursuant to this 
paragraph to which the eligible service 
provider is not entitled1 the           
,commission shall require the eligible  
service provider to repay such funds4   
7#b7 ,delay of implementation schedule  
,the ,commission shall-- 7,a7 delay by  
#a year the implementation of sections  
#ed4fjd and #ed4fje of title #dg1 ,code 
of ,federal ,regulations1 or any        
successor regulation1 as adopted in the 
,report and ,order in the matter of     
,promoting ,telehealth in ,rural        
,america 7,,fcc #ai-gh7 that was adopted
 by the ,commission on ,august #a1      
#bjai2 and  7,b7 delay application of   
the new definition of similar services  
as described in paragraphs #ad through  
#bj of such ,report and ,order until the
 implementation of the sections         
described in subparagraph 7,a74  7c7    
,effective date of regulations ,the     

regulations required under subsection   
7a7 shall take effect on the date on    
which the regulations are promulgated4  
7d7 ,termination of regulations ,except 
to the extent that the ,commission      
determines that some or all of the      
regulations promulgated under subsection
 7a7 should remain in effect 7excluding 
any regulation promulgated under        
paragraph 7#a7 of such subsection71 the 
regulations shall terminate on the later
 of-- 7#a7 the earlier of-- 7,a7 the    
date that is #fj days after the         
termination of the declaration1 or any  
renewal thereof1 of the public health   
emergency pursuant to section #cai of   
the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 as a result of        
confirmed cases of ,,covid-#ai2 and     
7,b7 the date of the expiration of the  
appropriation in subsection 7f77#b72 and
  7#b7 the date that is #i months after 
the date of enactment of this ,act4  7e7
 ,exemptions  7#a7 ,notice and comment  
rulemaking requirements ,subsections    

7b71 7c71 and 7d7 of section #eec of    
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall  
not apply to a regulation promulgated   
under subsection 7a7 or a rulemaking to 
promulgate such a regulation4  7#b7     
,paperwork ,reduction ,act requirements 
,a collection of information conducted  
or sponsored under the regulations      
required by subsection 7a71 or under    
section #bed of the ,communications ,act
 of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7 in       
connection with universal service       
support provided under such regulations1
 shall not constitute a collection of   
information for the purposes of         
subchapter ,i of chapter #ce of title   
#dd1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly    
referred to as the ,paperwork ,reduction
 ,act74  7f7 ,emergency ,rural ,health  
,care ,connectivity ,fund  7#a7         
,establishment ,there is established in 
the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a  
fund to be known as the ,emergency      
,rural ,health ,care ,connectivity      
,fund4  7#b7 ,appropriation ,there is   

appropriated to the ,emergency ,rural   
,health ,care ,connectivity ,fund1 out  
of any money in the ,treasury not       
otherwise appropriated1 #b1jjj1jjj1jjj  
for fiscal year #bjbj1 to remain        
available through fiscal year #bjbb4    
7#c7 ,use of funds ,amounts in the      
,emergency ,rural ,health ,care         
,connectivity ,fund shall be available  
to the ,commission to carry out the     
,rural ,health ,care ,program1 as       
modified by the regulations promulgated 
under subsection 7a74  7#d7             
,relationship to universal service      
contributions ,support provided under   
the regulations required by paragraphs  
7#a7 through 7#c7 of subsection 7a7     
shall be-- 7,a7 provided from amounts   
made available under paragraph 7#c7 of  
this subsection and not from            
contributions under section #bed7;d7 of 
the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg  
,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;d772 and  7,b7 in       
addition to1 and not in replacement of1 
funds authorized by the ,commission for 

the ,rural ,health ,care ,program as of 
the date of enactment of this ,act from 
contributions under section #bed7;d7 of 
the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg  
,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;d774