,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bddg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bj1     
#bjbc,ms4 ,rosen 7for herself and ,ms4  
,lummis7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to          
reauthorize the distance learning and   
telemedicine grant program1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,strengthening 
,telehealth and ,education for ,rural   
,communities ,act of #bjbc4  #b4        
,distance learning and telemedicine     
grant program  7a7 ,use of grants for   
operating expenses ,section #bccc of the
 ,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and
 ,trade ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4     
#iej;aaa-#b7 is amended-- 7#a7 in       
subsection 7a71 by inserting and        
operation after construction2  7#b7 in  
subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in paragraph      
7#a77;,b71 by adding and at the end2 and
  7,b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by       

striking or extend each place it appears
 and inserting extend1 or operate2  7#c7
 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in paragraph  
7#c71 by striking or at the end2  7,b7  
by redesignating paragraph 7#d7 as      
paragraph 7#e72 and  7,c7 by inserting  
after paragraph 7#c7 the following3     
7#d7 operation of the programming1      
equipment1 or facilities referred to in 
paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b72 or  2 and     
7#d7 by striking subsection 7g7 and     
inserting the following3  7g7 ,operating
 expenses ,not more than #ae percent of 
the amount of financial assistance      
provided to a recipient under this      
chapter may be used for recurring or    
operating expenses1 including salaries  
or administrative expenses1 that are    
reasonable and allocable to the project 
carried out by the recipient4  4  7b7   
,waiver of matching requirement ,section
 #bccd of the ,food1 ,agriculture1      
,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa-#c7 is amended by
 adding at the end the following3  7g7  

,waiver of matching requirement ,the    
,secretary shall waive any requirement  
for a recipient of financial assistance 
under this chapter to provide           
non-,federal matching funds-- 7#a7 in a 
case of demonstrated need or if the     
matching requirement would create a     
substantial burden1 as determined by the
 ,secretary2 or  7#b7 if the recipient  
is a federally recognized ,indian       
,tribe4  4  7c7 ,authorization of       
appropriations ,section #bcce;,a of the 
,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and 
,trade ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4      
#iej;aaa-#e7 is amended by striking     
#bjai through #bjbc and inserting #bjbd 
through #bjbh4  7d7 ,set-,aside for     
substance use disorder treatment and    
mental health services  7#a7 ,in general
  7,a7 ,substance use disorder set-aside
 ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 for each
 of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbh1   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall    
make available not less than #bj percent
 of amounts made available under section

 #bcce;,a of the ,food1 ,agriculture1   
,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa-#e7 for financial
 assistance under chapter #a of subtitle
 ,d of title ,,xxiii of that ,act 7#g   
,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa et seq47 for         
telemedicine projects that provide      
substance use disorder treatment        
services or mental health services4     
7,b7 ,exception ,in the case of a fiscal
 year for which the ,secretary of       
,agriculture determines that there are  
not sufficient qualified applicants to  
receive financial assistance for        
projects providing substance use        
disorder treatment services or mental   
health services to reach the #bj-percent
 requirement under subparagraph 7,a71   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture may make 
available less than #bj percent of      
amounts made available under section    
#bcce;,a of the ,food1 ,agriculture1    
,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa-#e7 for those    
services4  7#b7 ,conforming amendments  

,section #faja7;a77#a77;,a77i7 of the   
,agriculture ,improvement ,act of #bjah 
7,public ,law #aae-ccd2 #acb ,stat4     
#dgbf7 is amended-- 7,a7 by inserting   
for each of fiscal years #bjai through  
#bjbc1 before the ,secretary2 and  7,b7 
by striking 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa-#b7  
and inserting 7#g ,u4,s4,c4             
#iej;aaa-#e74