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HR 6654 116th Congress House

Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

Official title: To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure the extension of the telehealth waiver authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to physic… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure the extension of the telehealth waiver authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language-pathologists, and certain other providers.

Introduced: May 22, 2020 See on congress.gov
Health Cardiovascular and respiratory healthEmergency medical services and trauma careHealth personnelHealth technology, devices, supplies
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Hearing, speech, and vision careInfectious and parasitic diseasesInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaLong-term, rehabilitative, and terminal careMedicareSocial work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 1, 2020
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 1, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 1, 2020

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow, when exercising its waiver authority, the following providers to furnish telehealth services under Medicare during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019): physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, speech-language pathologists, clinical social workers, and audiologists. (Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency, and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.)

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 6634 Identical bill Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 31
All 31 Democratic 14 Republican 4
D
Houlahan, Chrissy
Pennsylvania · Oct 20, 2020
Finkenauer, Abby
· Oct 9, 2020
 D
Wilson, Frederica S.
Florida · Oct 9, 2020
Loebsack, David
· Oct 1, 2020
Payne, Donald
· Sep 30, 2020
Shalala, Donna
· Sep 30, 2020
 D
Morelle, Joseph D.
New York · Sep 29, 2020
O'Halleran, Tom
· Sep 29, 2020
 D
Sewell, Terri A.
Alabama · Sep 29, 2020
 D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Sep 8, 2020
 R
Fitzpatrick, Brian K.
Pennsylvania · Sep 1, 2020
Lowenthal, Alan
· Sep 1, 2020
 D
Lynch, Stephen F.
Massachusetts · Aug 22, 2020
 D
Connolly, Gerald E.
Virginia · Jun 15, 2020
 D
Craig, Angie
Minnesota · Jun 15, 2020
 D
Harder, Josh
California · Jun 8, 2020
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Jun 4, 2020
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Jun 4, 2020
 D
Raskin, Jamie
Maryland · May 27, 2020
 D
Kim, Andy
New Jersey · May 22, 2020
Mooney, Alexander
· May 22, 2020
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · May 22, 2020
Trone, David
· May 22, 2020
 R
Wittman, Robert J.
Virginia · May 22, 2020
Cox, TJ
· May 15, 2020
 D
Beatty, Joyce
Ohio · May 8, 2020
Hagedorn, Jim
· May 8, 2020
Cicilline, David
· May 5, 2020
Jackson Lee, Sheila
· May 5, 2020
 R
Balderson, Troy
Ohio · May 1, 2020
 R
Hill, J. French
Arkansas · May 1, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6654: Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6654/
MLA
"H.R. 6654: Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6654/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6654, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6654/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6654: Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6654/)
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