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H.R. 6474House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Healthcare Broadband Expansion During COVID-19 Act

Sponsored by Anna G. EshooRep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA)
Introduced April 10, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 11:48 AM UTC

The Healthcare Broadband Expansion During COVID‑19 Act directs the Federal Communications Commission to broaden its Rural Health Care Program so more health providers can get broadband support during the pandemic. It expands eligibility, raises discount rates, speeds up applications and funding, and creates a $2 billion emergency fund to cover the costs.

Key Provisions

  • The FCC must issue new rules within 7 days, treating any health‑care provider (even outside rural areas) as a rural provider for the Healthcare Connect Fund.
  • The discount on eligible broadband equipment and services is raised to 85% for funding years 2019‑2021.
  • Temporary, mobile, or satellite health‑care sites are eligible for the program.
  • The normal application window for 2019 is waived and a rolling‑application process is created.
  • Bidding rules are loosened: upgrades during the COVID‑19 emergency can skip certain requirements, the 28‑day waiting period is cut to 14 days, and bids can be evaluated on speed and use of multiple providers to speed deployment.
  • The FCC must decide on each application within 60 days and release approved funds within 30 days of an invoice.
  • All outstanding funding requests must be paid within 30 days, with interim payments allowed if a rural‑rate review is pending.
  • Implementation of two FCC rules on telehealth is delayed by one year.
  • An Emergency Rural Health Care Connectivity Fund of $2 billion is created for FY2020‑2022 to support these program changes, funded from Treasury, not from universal‑service contributions.
  • The new rules are exempt from notice‑and‑comment and paperwork‑reduction requirements and will expire either 60 days after the public‑health emergency ends or 9 months after the act’s enactment, whichever is later.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

April 10, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 10, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

April 10, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 10, 2020

I

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6474

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 10, 2020

Ms. Eshoo (for herself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To provide for the expansion of the Rural Health Care Program of the Federal Communications Commission in response to COVID–19, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Healthcare Broadband Expansion During COVID-19 Act.

2.

Expansion of Rural Health Care Program of FCC in response to COVID–19

(a)

Promulgation of regulations required

Not later than 7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations modifying the requirements in subpart G of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, in the following manner:

(1)

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 Program.

(2)

The discount rate for an eligible expense through the Healthcare Connect Fund Program (as described in section 54.611(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation) shall be increased to 85 percent in funding years 2019, 2020, and 2021 for eligible equipment purchased or eligible services rendered in such funding years (including for eligible equipment, upfront payments, and multi-year commitments without limitation).

(3)

A temporary, mobile, 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 Program.

(4)

The waiver of the application window specified in section 54.621(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), for funding year 2019.

(5)

The adoption and implementation of a rolling application process to allow a health care provider to apply for funding.

(6)

The following changes to certain bidding requirements:

(A)

A waiver of any requirement under section 54.622 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), for a health care provider upgrading an existing supported service at a particular location, effective as of the date of declaration of the public health emergency pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) as a result of confirmed cases of COVID–19, if the health care provider maintains the same eligible service provider to provide the upgraded service at such location.

(B)

Reduction of the 28-day waiting period described in section 54.622(g) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), to a 14-day waiting period.

(C)

Modification of the requirements in section 54.622 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), to—

(i)

provide that bid evaluation criteria may give additional consideration to the speed with which an eligible service provider can initiate service; and

(ii)

encourage applicants to consider bids from different providers to provide service to different locations of such applicants, if considering bids in this manner would expedite the overall timeline for initiating or expanding service to individual locations.

(7)

Issuance of a decision on each application for funding not later than 60 days after the date on which the application is filed.

(8)

Release of funding not later than 30 days after the date on which an invoice is submitted with respect to an application that is approved, applicable services have been provided, and required invoices have been submitted as required under program rules.

(b)

Additional changes to Rural Health Care Program

(1)

Release of funding for outstanding funding requests

The Commission shall release funding for all requests (outstanding as of the date of the enactment of this Act) for funding under the Rural Health Care Program not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, except that for funding requests subject to a review of the applicable rural rate, the Commission shall release interim funding not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act based on the most recent approved rural rate for a similar service, subject to a true-up following the completion of such review. This paragraph shall not be construed to require the Commission to release funding for a request if the Commission is, on the date of enactment of this Act, investigating potential waste, fraud, or abuse allegations with respect to a specific applicant or service provider to which such request relates.

(2)

Delay of implementation schedule

The Commission shall—

(A)

delay by one year the implementation of sections 54.604 and 54.605 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as adopted in the Report and Order in the matter of Promoting Telehealth in Rural America (FCC 19–78) that was adopted by the Commission on August 1, 2019; and

(B)

delay application of the new definition of similar services as described in paragraphs 14 to 20 of such Report and Order until the implementation of such sections.

(c)

Effective date of regulations

The regulations required under subsection (a) shall take effect on the date on which such regulations are promulgated.

(d)

Termination of regulations

Except to the extent that the Commission determines that some or all of the regulations promulgated under subsection (a) should remain in effect (excluding any regulation promulgated under paragraph (1) of such subsection), such regulations shall terminate on the later of—

(1)

the earlier of—

(A)

the date that is 60 days after the termination of the declaration, or any renewal thereof, of the public health emergency pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) as a result of confirmed cases of COVID–19; and

(B)

the date of the expiration of the appropriation in subsection (f)(2); and

(2)

the date that is 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(e)

Exemptions

(1)

Notice and comment rulemaking requirements

Section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to a regulation promulgated under subsection (a) or a rulemaking to promulgate such a regulation.

(2)

Paperwork Reduction Act requirements

A collection of information conducted or sponsored under the regulations required by subsection (a), or under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) in connection with universal service support provided under such regulations, shall not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act).

(f)

Emergency Rural Health Care Connectivity Fund

(1)

Establishment

There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the Emergency Rural Health Care Con­nect­i­vi­ty Fund.

(2)

Appropriation

There is appropriated to the Emergency Rural Health Care Connectivity Fund, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, to remain available through fiscal year 2022.

(3)

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 Program, as modified by the regulations promulgated under subsection (a).

(4)

Relationship to universal service contributions

Support provided under the regulations required by paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) shall be provided from amounts made available under paragraph (3) of this subsection and not from contributions under section 254(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)). Such support shall be in addition to, and not in replacement of, funds authorized by the Commission for the Rural Health Care Program as of the date of the enactment of this Act from contributions under section 254(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)).

(g)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Commission

The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.

(2)

Eligible equipment

The term eligible equipment means the equipment described in section 54.613 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(3)

Eligible service provider

The term eligible service provider means a provider described in section 54.608 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(4)

Funding year

The term funding year has the meaning given such term in section 54.600(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(5)

Health care provider

The term health care provider has the meaning given such term in section 54.600(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(6)

Healthcare Connect Fund Program

The term Healthcare Connect Fund Program has the meaning given such term in section 54.602(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(7)

Multi-year commitments

The term multi-year commitments means the commitments described in section 54.620(c) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(8)

Rural area

The term rural area has the meaning given such term in section 54.600(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(9)

Rural Health Care Program

The term Rural Health Care Program means the program described in subpart G of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(10)

Rural health care provider

The term rural health care provider has the meaning given such term in section 54.600(f) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(11)

Telecommunications Program

The term Telecommunications Program has the meaning given such term in section 54.602(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).

(12)

Upfront payments

The term upfront payments means the payments described in section 54.616 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).