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

D Federal agency coordination on maternal health

E Reproductive and Sexual Health

Sec. 5402. Emergency contraception education and information programs

(a) Emergency Contraception Public Education Program

(1) In general. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop and disseminate to the public medically accurate and complete information on emergency contraceptives.

(2) Dissemination. The Secretary may disseminate medically accurate and complete information under paragraph (1) directly or through arrangements with nonprofit organizations, community health workers, including patient advocates, consumer groups, institutions of higher education, clinics, the media, and Federal, State, and local agencies.

(3) Information. The information disseminated under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) include, at a minimum, a description of emergency contraceptives and an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, affordability, and availability, including over-the-counter access, of such contraceptives and options for access to such contraceptives without cost-sharing through insurance and other programs; and

(B) be pilot tested for consumer comprehension, cultural and linguistic appropriateness, and acceptance of the messages across geographically, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse populations.

(b) Emergency Contraception Information Program for Health Care Providers

(1) In general. The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and in consultation with major medical and public health organizations, shall develop and disseminate to health care providers, including pharmacists, information on emergency contraceptives.

(2) Information. The information disseminated under paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum—

(A) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraceptives, and options for access without cost-sharing through insurance and other programs;

(B) a recommendation regarding the use of such contraceptives; and

(C) information explaining how to obtain copies of the information developed under subsection (a) for distribution to the patients of the providers.

(c) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Health care provider. The term health care provider means an individual who is licensed or certified under State law to provide health care services and who is operating within the scope of such license. Such term shall include a pharmacist.

(2) Institution of higher education. The term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

(3) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(d) Authorization of Appropriations. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

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