# 116-hr-5473: EASE Behavioral Health Services Act

116-hr-5473, EASE Behavioral Health Services Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] (R-FL); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5473
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5473
- Congress: 116
- Title: EASE Behavioral Health Services Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Introduced: 2019-12-18
- Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Enhance Access to Support Essential Behavioral Health Services Act or the EASE Behavioral Health Services Act This bill removes restrictions that require the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) to be in a rural area, and allows the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site, for behavioral health telehealth services under Medicare. The bill also expands the scope of required guidance, studies, and reports to address the provision of such services under Medicaid.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2019-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2019-12-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL), 2020-05-22T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8662: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- 116-hr-8270: I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2020
- 116-hr-7483: Flexible Financing for Rural America Act of 2020
- 116-hr-6829: EMPIL–DOC Act
- 116-hr-5873: Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act
- 116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-5473 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5473)

## Related
- [116-hr-8662: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8662)
- [116-hr-8270: I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8270)
- [116-hr-7483: Flexible Financing for Rural America Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7483)
- [116-hr-6829: EMPIL–DOC Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-6829)
- [116-hr-5873: Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5873)
- [116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4305)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5473 (as of 2025-11-18).