106 STAT. 4098

PUBLIC LAW 102-551—OCT. 28, 1992

Public Law 102-551
102d Congress

An Act

Oct. 28,1992
[H.R. 5954]

Urban and rural

areas.

7 USC 950aaa-5.

An Act to amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
to improve health care services and educational services through telecommuni-
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. IMPROVEMENT 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, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
950aaa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:

"SEC. 2330A. SPECIAL HEALTH CARE AND DISTANCE LEARNING PRO-
GRAM FOR QUALIFIED SERVICE AREAS.

"(a) DEVELOPMENT OF CONSORTIA.—The Administrator shall
encourage the development of consortia to provide health care serv-
ices or educational services through telecommunications in rural
areas of a qualified local exchange carrier service area. Each consor-
tium 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 depart-
ments, 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 regula-
tions 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 edu-
cational services through telecommunications in rural areas.
"(2) SELECTION OF GRANTEES.—The Administrator shall—
"(A) establish application procedures;
"(B) review the applications submitted under this sub-
section in a timely manner; and

"(C) make grants in accordance with this subsection
and with regulations issued by the Administrator.
"(3) PRIORITIES.—