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. 5409. Grants to professional organizations and minority-serving institutions to increase diversity in maternal, reproductive, and sexual health professionals

(a) Grants to health professional organizations

(1) In general. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (referred to in this section as the Secretary), shall carry out a grant program under which the Secretary may make to eligible organizations—

(A) for fiscal year 2027, planning grants described in paragraph (2); and

(B) for the subsequent 4-year period, implementation grants described in paragraph (3).

(2) Planning grants

(A) In general. Planning grants described in this paragraph are grants for each of the following purposes:

(i) To collect data and identify any workforce inequalities, with respect to a health profession, at each of the following stages along the health professional continuum:

(I) Pipeline availability, with respect to students at the high school and college or university levels considering, and working toward, entrance in the profession, including inequalities due to barriers triggered by criminal records.

(II) Entrance into the training program for the profession.

(III) Graduation from such training program.

(IV) Entrance into practice, including inequalities due to barriers triggered by criminal records.

(V) Retention in practice for more than a 5-year period.

(ii) To develop one or more strategies to address the workforce inequalities within the health profession, as identified under (and in response to the findings pursuant to) clause (i).

(B) Application. To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, an eligible health professional organization shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and manner and containing such information as specified by the Secretary.

(C) Amount. Each grant awarded under this paragraph shall be for an amount not to exceed $300,000.

(D) Report. Each recipient of a grant under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary a report containing—

(i) information on the extent and distribution of workforce inequalities identified through the grant; and

(ii) reasonable objectives and strategies developed to address such inequalities within a 5-, 10-, and 25-year period.

(3) Implementation grants

(A) In general. Implementation grants described in this paragraph are grants to implement one or more of the strategies developed pursuant to a planning grant awarded under paragraph (2).

(B) Application. To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, an eligible health professional organization shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and manner as specified by the Secretary. Each such application shall contain information on—

(i) the capability of the organization to carry out a strategy described in subparagraph (A);

(ii) the involvement of partners or coalitions;

(iii) the organization’s plans for developing sustainability of the implementation efforts after the culmination of the grant cycle; and

(iv) any other matter specified by the Secretary.

(C) Amount; duration. Each grant awarded under this paragraph shall be for an amount not to exceed $500,000 for each year of the grant. The term of a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed 4 years.

(D) Reports. For each of the first 3 years for which an eligible health professional organization is awarded a grant under this paragraph, the organization shall submit to the Secretary a report on the activities carried out by such organization through the grant during such year and objectives for the subsequent year. For the fourth year for which an eligible health professional organization is awarded a grant under this paragraph, the organization shall submit to the Secretary a report that includes an analysis of all the activities carried out by the organization through the grant and a detailed plan for the continuation of the organization’s implementation efforts.

(4) Eligible health professional organization defined. For purposes of this subsection, the term eligible health professional organization means a professional organization representing obstetrician-gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, family practice physicians, nurse practitioners whose scope of practice includes pregnancy-related or sexual and reproductive health care, physician assistants whose scope of practice includes obstetrical or sexual and reproductive health care, certified professional midwives, adolescent medicine specialists who provide sexual and reproductive health care, or pediatricians who provide sexual and reproductive health care.

(b) Grants to minority-Serving institutions

(1) In general. The Secretary shall carry out a grant program under which the Secretary may make to eligible minority-serving institutions—

(A) for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, planning grants described in paragraph (2); and

(B) for the subsequent 10-year period, implementation grants described in paragraph (3).

(2) Planning grants

(A) In general. Planning grants described in this paragraph are grants for plans relating to 1 or more of the following purposes:

(i) To develop or expand academic programs to educate maternity care clinicians and maternity care support personnel, including—

(I) nurses who have the intention of providing maternity, newborn, or sexual and reproductive health care;

(II) nurse practitioners whose scope of practice includes maternity, newborn, or sexual and reproductive health care; and

(III) maternity care support personnel, such as doulas and lactation counselors.

(ii) To develop or expand academic programs to educate obstetrician-gynecologists.

(B) Application. To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, an eligible minority-serving institution shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and manner and containing such information as specified by the Secretary.

(C) Amount. Each grant awarded under this paragraph shall be for an amount not to exceed $400,000 for each of 2 years.

(D) Report. Each recipient of a grant under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary an annual report describing the planned development or expansion of academic programs, including—

(i) the types of clinical or support personnel to be served and the degrees or certificates to be conferred;

(ii) the associated curricula;

(iii) the faculty and their capabilities and commitments, including any plans for recruitment;

(iv) the anticipated number of students to be enrolled and plans for their recruitment and social, emotional, and financial support; and

(v) the objectives and strategies for addressing inequalities and preparing students to provide high-quality culturally congruent care.

(3) Implementation grants

(A) In general. Implementation grants described in this paragraph are grants to implement the plans developed under paragraph (2).

(B) Application. To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, an eligible minority-serving institution shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and manner as specified by the Secretary. Each such application shall contain information on the capability of the institution to carry out a plan described in paragraph (2), plans for sustainability of the academic program involved after the culmination of the grant cycle, and any other matter specified by the Secretary.

(C) Amount. Each grant under this paragraph shall be for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 for each year during the 10-year period of the grant.

(D) Reports

(i) Initial period. For each of the first 9 years for which an eligible minority-serving institution is awarded a grant under this paragraph, the institution shall submit a report to the Secretary on the activities carried out by such institution through the grant during such year and objectives for the subsequent year.

(ii) Final year. For the tenth year for which an eligible minority-serving institution is awarded a grant under this paragraph, the organization shall submit to the Secretary a report that includes an analysis of all the activities carried out by the institution through the grant and a detailed plan for continuation of the academic program.

(4) Minority-serving institution. For the purposes of this subsection, the term minority-serving institution means any of the following:

(A) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)).

(B) A Tribal College or University, as that term is defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).

(C) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).

(D) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).

(E) A Predominantly Black Institution, as that term is defined in section 318(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)).

(F) A Native American-serving, nontribal institution, as that term is defined in section 319(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)).

(G) An Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined in section 320(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)).

(c) Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out—

(1) subsection (a), $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2028 through 2031; and

(2) subsection (b), $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 and 2028 and $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2029 through 2038.

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