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

F Children’s Health

Sec. 5503. Decreasing the risk factors for sudden unexpected infant death and sudden unexplained death in childhood

(a) Establishment. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (in this section referred to as the Secretary), shall establish and implement a culturally and linguistically competent public health awareness and education campaign to provide information that is focused on decreasing the risk factors for sudden unexpected infant death and sudden unexplained death in childhood, including educating individuals about safe sleep environments, sleep positions, and reducing exposure to smoking during pregnancy and after birth.

(b) Targeted Populations. The campaign under subsection (a) shall be designed to reduce health inequalities through the targeting of populations with high rates of sudden unexpected infant death or of sudden unexplained death in childhood.

(c) Consultation. In establishing and implementing the campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with national organizations representing (collectively) health care providers, including nurses and physicians, parents, child care providers, children's advocacy and safety organizations, maternal and child health programs, nutrition professionals focusing on (collectively) people, infants, and children, and other individuals and groups determined necessary by the Secretary for such establishment and implementation.

(d) Grants

(1) In general. In carrying out the campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary shall award grants to national organizations, State and local health departments, and community-based organizations for the conduct of education and outreach programs for nurses, parents, child care providers, community health workers, public health agencies, and community organizations.

(2) Application. To be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(e) 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.

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