Federal Communications Commission	DA 21-431


DA 21-431
Released:  April 15, 2021

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES APPLICATION FILING WINDOW FOR ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM WILL OPEN APRIL 29, 2021
WC Docket No. 20-89

By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces that the application filing window for the second round of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program will open on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET.  The filing window will last seven calendar days and close on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET.  
On December 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Consolidated Appropriations Act), providing an additional $249.95 million to the Commission to support Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program (Program). Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No: 116-260, Division N-Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief, Title IX-Broadband Internet Access Service, § 903 “FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program” (2020), available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text (Consolidated Appropriations Act). 
  The Program was established in April 2020 to administer an initial $200 million in funding appropriated by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act “to support efforts of health care providers to address coronavirus by providing telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to enable the provision of telehealth services” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, 531 (2020) (CARES Act); Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers; COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket Nos. 18-213 and 20-89, Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 3366 (2020) (First COVID-19 Report and Order).
  In addition to appropriating new funds for the Program, the Consolidated Appropriations Act required the Commission to seek comment on several changes to the Program, including the metrics used to evaluate applications for funding, and how to treat applications filed in Round 1 of the Program. See Consolidated Appropriations Act § 903(c). 
  On March 30, 2021, the Commission adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration that established the requirements and necessary procedures for the Commission to award the additional Round 2 funds appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act. COVID-19 Telehealth Program; Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers, WC Docket Nos. 20-89 and 18-213, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 21-39 (March 30, 2021). 
  
Applications for the Program may be filed through a dedicated application portal, available on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program webpage:  www.fcc.gov/covid19telehealth.  Applications will be accepted once the application filing window opens, and all applications will be reviewed after the application filing window has closed.
Additional Information.  For additional information, interested parties should review the Application Process Guidance, which is attached to the Commission’s Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration as Appendix C or visit the Universal Service Administrative Company’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program webpage at https://www.usac.org/about/covid-19-telehealth-program/.  Questions specific to the application process should be directed to Round2TelehealthApplicationSupport@usac.org.  For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Connor Ferraro, Attorney Advisor, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Connor.Ferraro@fcc.gov or at (202) 418-1322.
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