H.R. 6654: Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-05-01 · Health · Latest: 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.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-05-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Axne, Cynthia [D-IA-3] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: 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. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

Plain summary

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.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Axne, Cynthia [D-IA-3] · 32 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Troy Balderson (R-OH), J. French Hill (R-AR), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Robert J. Wittman (R-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Steve Cohen (D-TN), André Carson (D-IN), Josh Harder (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr6654.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr6654 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116