1 (M) "Telehealth" - refers to the use of electronic information and telecommunications 2 technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related 3 education, public health, and health administration. 4 SECTION 5. Indigenous Peoples Connectivity Coordinating Council. _. A .Coordinating 5 Council shall be established to formulate plans and programs in connection with the 6 implementation of the provisions of this Act. This Council shall be composed of the following 7 officials or their representatives: Chairperson ofthe NCIP, the Commissioner ofthe NTC and the 8 Director of the NCC. The Council shall be supported by a Secretariat. 9 SECTION 6. Block Grant Program. - (A) Establishment. - There is established within 10 the NTC a Rural Telecommunications Block Grant Program to provide grants on a competitive 11 basis to eligible entities to carry out activities under Section 4(E). 12 13 14 15 (B) Block Grants. - The Commissioner may provide a block grant to an eligible entity that submits a block grant application to the NTC for approval. (C) Eligible Activities. - A grant under this Section may only be used for an eligible activity. 16 (D) Regulations. - Not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of 17 . enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall promulgate regulations establishing specific 18 criteria for the competition conducted to select eligible entities to receive grants under this 19 Section for each fiscal year. 20 SECTION 7. Training and Technical Assistance Grants. - (A) Notification and Criteria- 21 The Council shall provide notice of the availability of training and technical assistance grants 22 and publish criteria for selecting recipients. 23 24 (B) Grants. - The NCC and NTG may provide training and technical assistance grants to eligible entities with a demonstrated capacity to carry out eligible activities. 5