,,ii #aaf? ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ciag ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,! ,,unit$ ,,/ates ,june #i1 #bjbj,mr4 ,r\nds 7= himself1 ,ms4 ,smi?1 ,mr4 ,cram]1 ,ms4 ,coll9s1 ,mr4 ,m>key1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smi?1 & ,mr4 ,b5net7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,heal?1 ,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions ,a ,,bill ,to e/abli% a home-bas$ telem5tal heal? c>e demon/ration program = purposes ( increas+ m5tal heal? s]vices 9 rural m$ically und]s]v$ populations & = individuals 9 f>m+1 fi%+1 & =e/ry occupations4 #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,home-,bas$ ,telem5tal ,heal? ,c>e ,act ( #bjbj4 #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds z foll[s3 7#a7 ,x is e/imat$ t #df1fjj1jjj adults exp]i5ce m5tal illness 9 a giv5 ye> 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 ) #g4a p]c5t ( adults 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates liv+ ) major depression & #ai4a p]c5t ( su* adults liv+ ) anxiety disord]s4 7#b7 ,accord+ to ! results f ! #bjag ,national ,survey on ,drug ,use & ,heal?1 #ai4a p]c5t ( resid5ts 9 rural communities ag$ #ah or old] h any m5tal illness1 or approximately #f1hjj1jjj p2 #d4i p]c5t1 or ne>ly #a1gjj1jjj rural resid5ts exp]i5ce s]i\s ?\ghts ( suicide4 7#c7 ,a /udy by ! ,c5t]s = ,disease ,control & ,prev5tion sugge/s t p 9 f>m+1 fi%+1 & =e/ry occupations 7ref]r$ to 9 ?is section z ! ,triple-,f indu/ry7 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates exp]i5c$ rates ( #ge & #gf suicides p] #ajj1jjj p 9 #bjab & #bjae1 respectively4 7#d7 ,! ,,covid-#ai p&emic has put additional /ress on p 9 ! ,triple-,f population4 ,! p&emic has caus$ in/ability 9 ! m>kets1 especially z ! virus has caus$ a d[nturn 9 food s]vice sales & has clos$ meat process+ plants across ! ,nation4 ,?is has left f>m]s ) l[ commodity prices & loss ( rev5ue4 ,additional res\rces are ne$$ to support ! m5tal heal? ne$s ( ?is population4 7#e7 ,:ile ! preval5ce ( m5tal illness is simil> among rural & urban resid5ts1 ! s]vices available to ea* population are v diff]5t4 ,m5tal heal? c>e ne$s are n met 9 rural communities due to _m *all5ges1 includ+ accessibility issues due to transportation & geographic isolation1 ! /igma ( ne$+ or receiv+ m5tal heal? c>e1 a lack ( anonymity :5 seek+ treatm5t1 %ortages ( m5tal heal? work=ce pr(essionals1 & af=dability due to a high rate ( un9sur$ resid5ts4 7#f7 ,telem5tal heal?1 :i* is ! deliv]y ( m5tal heal? s]vices us+ remote te*nologies :5 ! pati5t & provid] are sep>at$ by di/ance1 %[s promise 9 help+ to alleviate ! lack ( m5tal heal? s]vices 9 rural areas4 ,traditional telem5tal heal? models involve c>e deliv]$ to a pati5t at an orig9at+ cl9ical site f a speciali/ work+ at a di/ant site4 ,hav+ ! ability to rea* m5tal heal? pr(essionals f a place ( com=t1 su* z home1 f a p]sonal device may r$uce *all5ges fac$ 9 rural areas & among/ ,triple-,f work]s4 7#g7 ,a cl9ical trial ( #bda depress$ eld]ly vet]ans1 :i* 0 conduct$ by ! ,m$ical ,univ]sity ( ,s\? ,c>ol9a & ! ,ralph ,h4 ,johnson ,vet]ans ,affairs ,m$ical ,c5t]1 & publi%$ 9 ! ,j\rnal ( ,cl9ical ,psy*iatry1 f\nd t home-bas$ telem5tal heal? = depression is well receiv$ by pati5ts & deliv]s z good a quality ( life z 9-p]son visits4 #c4 ,m5tal heal? s]vices deliv]$ to rural und]s]v$ populations via telem5tal heal? c>e ,title ,,iii ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act is am5d$ by ins]t+ aft] section #ccj,k 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;c-#af7 ! foll[+3 #ccj,k-#a4 ,m5tal heal? s]vices deliv]$ to rural und]s]v$ populations via telem5tal heal? c>e 7a7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section-- 7#a7 ! t]m cov]$ populations means-- 7,a7 m$ically und]s]v$ populations 9 rural areas 7z def9$ 9 section #ahhf7;d77#b77;,d7 ( ! ,social ,security ,act72 or 7,b7 populations engag$ 9 a f>m+1 fi%+1 or =e/ry indu/ry2 7#b7 ! t]m eligible entity means a public or nonpr(it private telem5tal heal? provid] network t (f]s s]vices t include m5tal heal? s]vices provid$ by pr(essionals tra9$ 9 m5tal heal?2 7#c7 ! t]m f>m+1 fi%+1 or =e/ry indu/ry means an occupation def9$ z a f>m+1 fi%+1 or =e/ry occupation by ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,labor 9 accordance ) ! ,/&>d ,occupational ,classification ,sy/em2 7#d7 ! t]m home-bas$ telem5tal means ! use ( telem5tal heal? s]vices :]e ! pati5t is 9 8 or h] own home or o!r place ( com=t2 7#e7 ! t]m m$ically und]s]v$ population has ! mean+ giv5 su* t]m 9 section #ccj7;b72 7#f7 ! t]m pr(essional tra9$ 9 m5tal heal? means a psy*iatri/1 a qualifi$ m5tal heal? pr(essional 7z def9$ 9 section #ccj,k71 or ano!r m5tal heal? pr(essional act+ "u ! direction ( a psy*iatri/2 7#g7 ! t]m rural has ! mean+ giv5 su* t]m by ! ,(fice ( ,rural ,heal? ,policy ( ! ,heal? ,res\rces & ,s]vices ,adm9i/ration2 & 7#h7 ! t]m telem5tal heal? means ! use ( electronic in=mation & telecommunications te*nologies to support long di/ance cl9ical heal? c>e1 pati5t & pr(essional heal?-relat$ education1 public heal?1 & heal? adm9i/ration4 7b7 ,program au?oriz$ ,! ,secret>y1 act+ ?r\gh ! ,director ( ! ,(fice = ! ,advancem5t ( ,teleheal? ( ! ,heal? ,res\rces & ,s]vices ,adm9i/ration & 9 coord9ation ) ! ,rural ,heal? ,liaison ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture1 %all aw>d grants to eligible entities to e/abli% demon/ration projects = ! provision ( m5tal heal? s]vices to cov]$ populations 9 _! homes1 z deliv]$ remotely by pr(essionals tra9$ 9 m5tal heal? us+ telem5tal heal? c>e4 7c7 ,use ( funds ,recipi5ts ( a grant "u ?is section %all use ! grant funds to-- 7#a7 deliv] home-bas$ telem5tal heal? s]vices to cov]$ populations2 & 7#b7 develop compreh5sive metrics to measure ! quality & impact ( home-bas$ telem5tal heal? s]vices comp>$ to traditional 9-p]son m5tal heal? c>e4 7d7 ,report ,! ,secret>y1 9 consultation ) ! ,secret>y ( ,agriculture1 #c ye>s aft] ! date on :i* ! program "u ?is section comm5ces1 & #b ye>s !reaft]1 %all submit to ! appropriate congressional committees reports on ! impact & quality ( c>e ( home-bas$ telem5tal heal? c>e s]vices = cov]$ populations4 7e7 ,au?oriz$ use ( funds ,out ( any am\nts made available to ! ,secret>y1 up to #aj1jjj1jjj = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjba ?r\gh #bjbe may be allocat$ to c>ry+ out ! program "u ?is section4 4