106 STAT. 4098 PUBLIC LAW 102-551 —OCT. 28, 1992 Public Law 102-551 102d Congress An Act Oct 28 1992 ^ ^"^ ^ amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 — ' Incri^ —
- o improve health care services and educational services through telecommuni-
ItlM. 5954J cations, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. mPROVEMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND EDU- CATIONAL SERVICES THROUGH TELECOMMUNICATIONS. (a) PROGRAMS FOR CONSORTIA IN QUALIFIED LOCAL EXCHANGE SERVICE AREAS.— Chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XXIII of the Food, Agricvilture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: Urban and rural "SEC. 2335A. SPECIAL HEALTH CARE AND DISTANCE LEARNING PRO- T'ISS: 950aaa-5 GRAM FOR QUALIFIED SERVICE AREAS. " (a) DEVELOPMENT OF CoNSORTL^. - The Administrator shall encourage the development of consortia to provide health care services or educational services through telecommunications in rural areas of a qualified local exchange carrier service area. Each consortium shall be composed of—
- (1) a tertiary care facility, rural referral center, medical
teaching institution, or educational institution accredited by the State; "(2) any number of institutions that provide health care services or educational services; and "(3) not less that three rural hospitals, clinics, community health centers, migrant health centers, local health departments, or similar facilities, or not less than three educational institutions accredited by the State. "(b) SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR QUALIFIED LOCAL EXCHANGE CAR- RiER SERVICE AREAS. — "(1) REGULATIONS AND SPECIAL PROGRAM. —Through regulations issued not later than 190 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish a program under which qualified consortia described in subsection (a) located within qualified local exchange carrier service areas may apply to the Administrator for grants to support the costs of activities involved in the sending and receiving of information that will improve the delivery of health care services or educational services through telecommunications in rural areas. "(2) SELECTION OF GRANTEES. —The Administrator shall— "(A) establish application procedures; "(B) review the applications submitted under this subsection in a timely manner; and "(C) make grants in accordance with this subsection and with regulations issued by the Administrator. "(3) PRIORITIES. —
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