Sec. 701. EXPANDED TELEHEALTH FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
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## SEC. 701 EXPANDED TELEHEALTH FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS **[**[38 U.S.C. 1701 note](/us/usc/t38/s1701)**]** ###
(a)In General The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into agreements, and expand existing agreements, with organizations that represent or serve veterans, nonprofit organizations, private businesses, and other interested parties for the expansion of telehealth capabilities and the provision of telehealth services to veterans through the award of grants under subsection (b). ###
(b)Award of Grants ####
(1)In general In carrying out agreements entered into or expanded under this section with entities described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall award grants to those entities. ####
(2)Locations To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are awarded to entities that serve veterans in rural and highly rural areas (as determined through the use of the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas coding system of the Department of Agriculture) or areas determined to be medically underserved. ####
(3)Use of grants #####
(A)In general Grants awarded to an entity under this subsection may be used for one or more of the following: ######
(i)Purchasing, replacing or upgrading hardware or software necessary for the provision of secure and private telehealth services. ######
(ii)Upgrading security protocols for consistency with the security requirements of the Department of Veterans Affairs. ######
(iii)Training of site attendants, including payment of those attendants for completing that training, with respect to— ######
(I)military and veteran cultural competence, if the entity is not an organization that represents veterans; ######
(II)equipment required to provide telehealth services; ######
(III)privacy, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 privacy rule under part 160 and subparts A and E of part 164 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulations, as it relates to health care for veterans; ######
(IV)scheduling for telehealth services for veterans; or ######
(V)any other unique training needs for the provision of telehealth services to veterans. ######
(iv)Upgrading existing infrastructure owned or leased by the entity to make rooms more conducive to telehealth care, including— ######
(I)additions or modifications to windows or walls in an existing room, or other alterations as needed to create a new, private room, including permits or inspections required in association with space modifications; ######
(II)soundproofing of an existing room; ######
(III)new electrical, telephone, or internet outlets in an existing room; or ######
(IV)aesthetic enhancements to establish a more suitable therapeutic environment. ######
(v)Upgrading existing infrastructure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.). ######
(vi)Upgrading internet infrastructure and sustainment of internet services. ######
(vii)Sustainment of telephone services. #####
(B)Exclusion Grants may not be used for the purchase of new property or for major construction projects, as determined by the Secretary. ###
(c)Agreement on Telehealth Access Points ####
(1)In general An entity described in subsection
(a)that seeks to establish a telehealth access point for veterans but does not require grant funding under this section to do so may enter into an agreement with the Department for the establishment of such an access point. ####
(2)Adequacy of facilities An entity described in paragraph
(1)shall be responsible for ensuring that any access point is adequately private, secure, clean, and accessible for veterans before the access point is established. ###
(d)Assessment of Barriers to Access ####
(1)In general Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete an assessment of barriers faced by veterans in accessing telehealth services. ####
(2)Elements The assessment required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: #####
(A)A description of the barriers veterans face in using telehealth while not on property of the Department. #####
(B)A description of how the Department plans to address the barriers described in subparagraph (A). #####
(C)Such other matters related to access by veterans to telehealth while not on property of the Department as the Secretary considers relevant. ####
(3)Report Not later than 120 days after the completion of the assessment required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the assessment, including any recommendations for legislative or administrative action based on the results of the assessment.
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