Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act has not moved since its introduction on Feb 9, 2026, with one cosponsor, a Republican
IntroducedFeb 9, 2026
Reported—
Passed one chamber—
Passed both—
Law—
What it changes · CRS summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service [2]. 87 words.
Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), and (4) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services.
Context
- Committees
- House Energy and Commerce Committee
House Ways and Means Committee - Policy area
- Health: 122 of 9,357 bills became law, 113th–118th (1.3%)
- Sponsor
- 4 of 166 bills enacted since 2013
- Text versions
- 1: introduced in house · 1,745 words
- Latest action
- Feb 9, 2026: 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.
- Records
- Congress.gov · Bill text
Exhibit 1Passage odds band at each stage, rated when the bill reached it [4]
Related bills · 0
The bill status record lists no related bills.
Exhibit 2Articles naming the bill per day, last 90 days, US sources [3]