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

• 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’’).