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S 3517 116th Congress Senate Health Administrative law and regulatory procedures Appropriations Cardiovascular and respiratory health Computers and information technology Congressional oversight Department of Health and Human Services Emergency medical services and trauma care Executive agency funding and structure Family relationships Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Health care coverage and access Health facilities and institutions Health programs administration and funding Health technology, devices, supplies Infectious and parasitic diseases Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care Medicaid Medicare Nursing

ACCESS Act

Introduced: March 18, 2020 Introduced by: Klobuchar, Amy Democratic · Minnesota See on congress.gov
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
Mar 18, 2020
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mar 18, 2020
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Advancing Connectivity during the Coronavirus to Ensure Support for Seniors Act or the ACCESS Act

This bill (1) provides appropriations for the Telehealth Resource Center Program of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth within the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to develop telehealth capacity for certain nursing facilities, and (2) directs other activities to increase access to telehealth services in such facilities during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.

HRSA shall award grants, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to skilled nursing facilities and other nursing facilities to support virtual visits to residents during the emergency. The FCC shall waive requirements that apply to certain funding for telecommunication and broadband services for health care providers if those requirements prevent facilities that receive grants from carrying them out.

The Department of Health and Human Services must also provide recommendations related to immediately increasing access, during the emergency, to telehealth services for which Medicare and Medicaid payments are available in skilled and other nursing facilities.

What's happening now March 18, 2020

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 3517: ACCESS Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-3517/
MLA
"S. 3517: ACCESS Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-3517/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 3517, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-3517/.
Markdown link
[S. 3517: ACCESS Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-3517/)
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