H.R. 9877

Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsor: Raul Ruiz

26 cosponsors
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I Data collection and reporting

II Culturally and linguistically appropriate health and health care

III Health workforce diversity

A Diversifying the health care workplace

B Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health Workforce

C ACCESS in Mental Health Act

D Developing the Community Health Workforce Act

IV Improving Health Care Access and Quality

A Reducing Barriers to Accessing Care

B Improvement of Coverage

C Expansion of Access

1 General Provisions

2 Rural

3 Indian Communities

4 Providers

5 Dental

D Advancing Health Equity Through Payment and Delivery Reform

E Health Empowerment Zones

F Equitable Health Care for All

G Investing in Equity

H Miscellaneous

I Territories Health Equity

1 Medicare

A Part A

B Part B

C Medicare Advantage (Part C)

D Part D

2 Miscellaneous

V Improving health outcomes for women, gender-diverse people, children, and families

A Underserved communities

B Pregnancy screening

C Pregnancy-Related care

Sec. 5213. Midwives schools and programs expansion

(a) Midwifery schools and programs

(1) In general. Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 760 (42 U.S.C. 294k) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

760A. Midwifery schools and programs

(a) In general. The Secretary may award grants to institutions of higher education (as defined in subsections (a) and (b) of section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) for the following:

(1) Direct support of students in an accredited midwifery school or program.

(2) Establishment or expansion of an accredited midwifery school or program.

(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support for increasing the number of qualified preceptors for training the students of an accredited midwifery school or program.

(b) Special considerations. In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to any institution of higher education that—

(1) agrees to prioritize students who plan to practice in a health professional shortage area designated under section 332; and

(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery education.

(c) Restriction. The Secretary shall not provide any assistance under this section to be used with respect to a midwifery school or program within a school of nursing (as defined in section 801).

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In general. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

(2) Allocation. Of the amounts made available to carry out this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use—

(A) 50 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(1);

(B) 25 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(2); and

(C) 25 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(3).

(2) Definitions

(A) Midwifery school or program. Section 799B(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(A)) is amended—

(i) by inserting midwifery school or program, before and school of chiropractic;

(ii) by inserting a degree or certificate in midwifery or an equivalent degree or certificate, before and a degree of doctor of chiropractic or an equivalent degree; and

(iii) by striking any such school and inserting any such school or program.

(B) Accredited. Section 799B(1)(E) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(E)) is amended by inserting a midwifery school or program, before or a graduate program in health administration.

(b) Nurse-Midwives. Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 812 (as added by section 5205(c)), the following:

Text this section adds to the law

812A. Midwifery expansion program

(a) In general. The Secretary may award grants to schools of nursing for the following:

(1) Direct support of students in an accredited nurse-midwifery school or program.

(2) Establishment or expansion of an accredited nurse-midwifery school or program.

(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support for increasing the number of qualified preceptors at clinical training sites to precept students training to become certified nurse-midwives.

(b) Special considerations. In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to any school of nursing that—

(1) agrees to prioritize students who choose to pursue an advanced education degree in nurse-midwifery to practice in a health professional shortage area designated under section 332; and

(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in nurse-midwifery education.

(c) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In general. To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

(2) Allocation. Of the amounts made available to carry out this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use—

(A) 50 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(1);

(B) 25 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(2); and

(C) 25 percent to award grants for purposes specified in subsection (a)(3).

D Federal agency coordination on maternal health

E Reproductive and Sexual Health

F Children’s Health

G Elder Care

H Miscellaneous provisions

VI Mental health and substance use disorders

A Access to care and funding streams

B Interprofessional care

C Workforce development

D Children’s mental health

E Community-Based care

F Reports

G Miscellaneous provisions

VII Addressing high-impact minority diseases

A Cancer

B Viral hepatitis and liver cancer control and prevention

C Acquired bone marrow failure diseases

D Cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, obesity, and other disease issues

E HIV/AIDS

F Diabetes

G Lung disease

H Tuberculosis

I Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases

J Sleep and circadian rhythm disorders

K Kidney disease research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment

L Diversity in clinical trials

M Additional provisions addressing high-impact minority diseases

N Health Equity and Rare Disease Act

O Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention

P New Era of Preventing End-Stage Kidney Disease

VIII Health Information Technology

A Reducing Health Disparities Through Health IT

B Modifications To Achieve Parity in Existing Programs

C Additional Research and Studies

D Closing Gaps in Funding To Adopt Certified EHRs

E Expanding Access to Telehealth Services

IX Accountability and Evaluation

X Addressing Social Determinants and Improving Environmental Justice

A In General

B Gun Violence

C Nutrition for women, children, families

1 Senior hunger prevention

2 Closing the meal gap

D Universal school meals

1 School breakfast program

2 School lunch program

3 Elementary and secondary education data

4 Amendments to other programs and laws

XI Protections to combat regulatory harm to health equity