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119th Congress·Senate bill

S. 1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes.

In committee Health
SponsorSen. Brian SchatzDemocrat, HI
IntroducedApr 2, 2025in the Senate
Latest actionApr 2, 20252 actions
Cosponsors730 recorded votes

Where the bill stands

In committee
  1. Introduced Apr 2, 2025
  2. Committee Apr 2, 2025
  3. Passed Senate Next
  4. Passed House Not yet
  5. To President Not yet
  6. Law Not yet

Latest action, Apr 2, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summary

Library of Congress, Apr 2, 2025

Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.

Among other provisions, the bill

- permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services;

Read the full summary

- permanently 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

- allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency.

Additionally, the CMS must post certain information about the effects of Medicare telehealth services on its website, including information about utilization, costs, and the outcome of services. The CMS must also (1) provide resources to health care professionals about the requirements for furnishing telehealth services under Medicare, including with respect to payment, patient privacy, and support for underserved populations; and (2) ensure certain quality measures are applied to telehealth services.

Companies lobbying on this bill

2 companies · 10 filings

Who lobbies on this bill

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Member trades in these companies

90 days · 7 trades

Congress trades in these companies

Stock trades by members of Congress in the companies lobbying on this bill, with sponsors and committee members marked, are for subscribers.

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Votes

0 recorded

No recorded roll-call vote on this bill yet

Actions

2 total
  1. Apr 2, 2025SenateIntroduced in Senate
  2. Apr 2, 2025SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Committees

1
  • Senate Finance CommitteeReferred ToReferred To, Apr 2, 2025Referred To, Apr 2, 2025

Sponsor and cosponsors

73 cosponsors
  • Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)Sponsor, Apr 2, 2025
  • Adam Schiff (D-CA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Alex Padilla (D-CA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Angus King (I-ME)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Ben Luján (D-NM)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Bernie Sanders (I-VT)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Bill Cassidy (R-LA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Christopher Coons (D-DE)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Chuck Grassley (R-IA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Cory Booker (D-NJ)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
All 73 cosponsors
  • Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Dan Sullivan (R-AK)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Deb Fischer (R-NE)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Eric Schmitt (R-MO)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Gary Peters (D-MI)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Jacky Rosen (D-NV)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • James Justice (R-WV)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • James Lankford (R-OK)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Jeff Merkley (D-OR)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Jerry Moran (R-KS)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Barrasso (R-WY)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Boozman (R-AR)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Fetterman (D-PA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Hickenlooper (D-CO)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Hoeven (R-ND)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Thune (R-SD)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Katie Britt (R-AL)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Kevin Cramer (R-ND)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Lindsey Graham (R-SC)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Maria Cantwell (D-WA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Mark Kelly (D-AZ)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Mark Warner (D-VA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Martin Heinrich (D-NM)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Mike Rounds (R-SD)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Pete Ricketts (R-NE)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Peter Welch (D-VT)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Raphael Warnock (D-GA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Roger Marshall (R-KS)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Roger Wicker (R-MS)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Shelley Capito (R-WV)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Steve Daines (R-MT)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Susan Collins (R-ME)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Thomas Tillis (R-NC)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Timothy Kaine (D-VA)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Tina Smith (D-MN)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Todd Young (R-IN)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Tom Cotton (R-AR)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)OriginalJoined Apr 2, 2025
  • John Kennedy (R-LA)Joined Apr 28, 2025
  • Michael Bennet (D-CO)Joined Apr 28, 2025
  • Bernie Moreno (R-OH)Joined May 1, 2025
  • Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)Joined May 1, 2025
  • Andy Kim (D-NJ)Joined Sep 30, 2025
  • Ted Budd (R-NC)Joined Sep 30, 2025
  • Edward Markey (D-MA)Joined Dec 9, 2025
  • Jim Banks (R-IN)Joined Dec 9, 2025
  • Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)Joined Dec 15, 2025
  • Tim Sheehy (R-MT)Joined Dec 15, 2025
  • Mitch McConnell (R-KY)Joined Jan 29, 2026
  • Patty Murray (D-WA)Joined Jan 29, 2026
  • Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD)Joined Mar 12, 2026
  • David McCormick (R-PA)Joined Mar 12, 2026

Text versions

1

Amendments

0

No amendments offered

Cost estimates and reports

No cost estimate or committee report yet

Titles

3
Short titles
  • CONNECT for Health Act of 2025Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025Short Title(s) as Introduced
Official titles
  • A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes.Official Title as Introduced

Subjects

0
Policy area
Health
1
  • H.R. 4206 Identical bill CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

Official record from Congress.gov, the House Clerk and the Senate; lobbying from Lobbying Disclosure Act filings. Updated Oct 27, 2026.