H.R. 9877

Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsor: Raul Ruiz

26 cosponsors
Follow this bill

Official summary

No official summary yet.

Text of the bill

Expand all

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

D Federal agency coordination on maternal health

Sec. 5302. Expansion of CDC Prevention Research Centers Program to include Centers on Optimal Maternity Outcomes

(a) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall support the establishment of additional Prevention Research Centers under the Prevention Research Center Program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such additional centers shall each be known as a Center for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes.

(b) Research. Each Center for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes shall—

(1) conduct at least one focused program of research to improve maternity outcomes, including the reduction of cesarean birth rates, early elective inductions, prematurity rates, and low birth weight rates within an underserved population that has a disproportionately large burden of suboptimal maternity outcomes, including maternal mortality and morbidity, infant mortality, prematurity, or low birth weight, which such program shall include developing performance and quality measures for accountability;

(2) work with partners on special interest projects, as specified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other relevant agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, and on projects funded by other sources; and

(3) involve a minimum of two distinct birth setting models, such as—

(A) a hospital labor and delivery model and freestanding birth center model; or

(B) a hospital labor and delivery model and planned home birth model.

(c) Interdisciplinary providers. Each Center for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes shall include the following interdisciplinary providers of maternity care:

(1) Obstetrician-gynecologists.

(2) At least two of the following providers:

(A) Family practice physicians.

(B) Nurse practitioners.

(C) Physician assistants.

(D) Certified professional midwives, certified nurse-midwives, or certified midwives.

(d) Services. Research conducted by each Center for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes shall include at least 2 (and preferably more) of the following supportive provider services:

(1) Mental health.

(2) Doula labor support.

(3) Nutrition education.

(4) Childbirth education.

(5) Social work.

(6) Physical therapy or occupation therapy.

(7) Substance use disorder services.

(8) Home visiting.

(e) Coordination. The programs of research at each of the Centers of Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes shall complement and not replicate the work of the other.

(f) Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

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