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Consolidated Appropriations Act – 2021 – COVID-19 Relief Stimulus Bill – 2020-12-21

Consolidated Appropriations Act – 2021 COVID-19 Relief Stimulus Bill – 2020-12-21Download
  • SEC. 903. FCC COVID–19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM.
  • (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—
  • (1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
  • mittees’’ means—
  • (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science,
  • and Transportation of the Senate; and
  • (B) the Committee on Energy and Com-
  • merce of the House of Representatives;
  • (2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal
  • Communications Commission; and
  • (3) the term ‘‘COVID–19 Telehealth Program’’
  • or   ‘‘Program’’    means  the   COVID–19    Telehealth
  • Program established by the Commission under the
  • authority provided under the heading ‘‘SALARIES
  • AND      EXPENSES’’        under   the   heading   ‘‘FEDERAL
  • COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION’’ under the heading
  • ‘‘INDEPENDENT AGENCIES’’ in title V of divi-
  • sion B of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136;

23          134 Stat. 531).

  • (b) ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION.—Out of amounts
  • in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is ap-
  • propriated  $249,950,000  in   additional  funds   for   the
  • COVID–19 Telehealth Program, of which $50,000 shall
  • be transferred by the Commission to the Inspector General
  • of the Commission for oversight of the COVID–19 Tele-
  • health Program.
  • (c) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—
  • (1) EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS.—
  • (A) PUBLIC NOTICE.—Not later than 10
  • days after the date of enactment of this Act,
  • the Commission shall issue a Public Notice es-
  • tablishing a 10-day period during which the
  • Commission will seek comments on—
  • (i) the metrics the Commission should
  • use to evaluate applications for funding
  • under this section; and
  • (ii) how the Commission should treat
  • applications   filed    during    the    funding
  • rounds for awards from the COVID-19
  • Telehealth Program using amounts appro-
  • priated under the CARES Act (Public Law

21                         116–36; 134 Stat. 281).

  • (B) CONGRESSIONAL NOTICE.—After the
  • end of the comment period under subparagraph
  • (A), and not later than 15 days before the
  • Commission first commits funds under this sec-
  • tion, the Commission shall provide notice to the
  • appropriate  congressional    committees    of   the
  • metrics the Commission plans to use to evaluate
  • applications for those funds.
  • (2) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—To the extent
  • feasible, the Commission shall ensure, in providing
  • assistance under the COVID–19 Telehealth Program
  • from amounts made available under subsection (b),
  • that not less than 1 applicant in each of the 50
  • States and the District of Columbia has received
  • funding from the Program since the inception of the
  • Program, unless there is no such applicant eligible
  • for such assistance in a State or in the District of
  • Columbia, as the case may be.
  • (3) PREVIOUS APPLICANTS.—The Commission
  • shall allow an applicant who filed an application dur-
  • ing    the    funding   rounds   for    awards   from   the
  • COVID–19 Telehealth Program using amounts ap-
  • propriated under the CARES Act (Public Law 116-
  • 36; 134 Stat. 281) the opportunity to update or
  • amend that application as necessary.
  • (4) INFORMATION.—To the extent feasible, the
  • Commission shall provide each applicant for funding
  • from the COVID–19 Telehealth Program, if re-
  • quested, with—
  • (A) information on the status of the appli-
    • cation; and
    • (B) a rationale for the final funding deci-
    • sion for the application, after making that deci-
    • sion.
    • (5) DENIAL.—If the Commission chooses to
    • deny an application for funding from the COVID–
    • 19 Telehealth Program, the Commission shall—
    • (A) issue notice to the applicant of the in-
    • tent of the Commission to deny the application
    • and the grounds for that decision;
    • (B) provide the applicant with 10 days to
    • submit any supplementary information that the
    • applicant determines relevant; and
    • (C) consider any supplementary informa-
    • tion submitted under subparagraph (B) in mak-
    • ing any final decision with respect to the appli-
    • cation.
    • (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days
    • after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 30 days
    • thereafter until all funds made available under this section
    • have been expended, the Commission shall submit to the
    • appropriate congressional committees a report on the dis-
    • tribution of funds appropriated for the COVID–19 Tele-
    • health Program under the CARES Act (Public Law 116–
  • 36; 134 Stat. 281) or under this section, which shall in-
  • clude—
  • (1) non-identifiable and aggregated data on de-
  • ficient and rejected applications;
  • (2) non-identifiable and aggregated data on ap-
  • plications for which no award determination was
  • made;
  • (3) information on the total number of appli-
  • cants;
  • (4) information on the total dollar amount of
  • requests for awards made under this section; and
  • (5) information on applicant outreach and tech-
  • nical assistance.
  • (e) PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT REQUIREMENTS.—
  • A collection of information conducted or sponsored under
  • any regulations required to implement this section 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

20 Act’’).