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

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

Sec. 7601. Asthma-related activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Section 317I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–10) is amended to read as follows:

Text this section adds to the law

317I. Asthma-related activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(a) Program for providing information and education to the public. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall collaborate with State and local health departments to conduct activities, including the provision of information and education to the public, regarding asthma including—

(1) deterring the harmful consequences of uncontrolled asthma; and

(2) disseminating health education and information regarding prevention of asthma episodes and strategies for managing asthma.

(b) Development of state asthma plans. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall collaborate with State and local health departments to develop State plans incorporating public health responses to reduce the burden of asthma, particularly regarding disproportionately affected populations.

(c) Compilation of data. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, in cooperation with State and local public health officials—

(1) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the effectiveness of public health asthma interventions, and the quality of asthma management, including—

(A) collection of data among people with asthma to monitor the impact on health and quality of life;

(B) surveillance of health care facilities; and

(C) collection of data not containing individually identifiable information from electronic health records or other electronic communications;

(2) compile and annually publish data regarding the prevalence and incidence of childhood asthma, the child mortality rate, and the number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits by children associated with asthma nationally and in each State and at the county level by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, as well as lifetime and current prevalence; and

(3) compile and annually publish data regarding the prevalence and incidence of adult asthma, the adult mortality rate, and the number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits by adults associated with asthma nationally and in each State and at the county level by age, sex, race, ethnicity, industry, and occupation, as well as lifetime and current prevalence.

(d) Coordination of data collection. The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in conjunction with State and local health departments, shall coordinate data collection activities under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c) so as to maximize comparability of results.

(e) Collaboration

(1) In general. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may collaborate with national, State, and local nonprofit organizations to provide information and education about asthma, and to strengthen such collaborations when possible.

(2) Specific activities. The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acting through the Division of Population Health of the Centers, may expand activities relating to asthma with non-Federal partners, especially State-level entities.

(f) Reports to congress

(1) In general. Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026, and once 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall, in consultation with patient groups, nonprofit organizations, medical societies, and other relevant governmental and nongovernmental entities, submit to Congress a report that—

(A) catalogs, with respect to asthma prevention, management, and surveillance—

(i) the activities of the Federal Government, including an assessment of the progress of the Federal Government and States, with respect to achieving the goals of the Healthy People 2030 initiative; and

(ii) the activities of other entities that participate in the program under this section, including nonprofit organizations, patient advocacy groups, and medical societies; and

(B) makes recommendations for the future direction of asthma activities, in consultation with researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other member bodies of the Asthma Disparities Subcommittee, including—

(i) a description of how the Federal Government may improve its response to asthma, including identifying any barriers that may exist;

(ii) a description of how the Federal Government may continue, expand, and improve its private-public partnerships with respect to asthma, including identifying any barriers that may exist;

(iii) identification of steps that may be taken to reduce the—

(I) morbidity, mortality, and overall prevalence of asthma;

(II) financial burden of asthma on society;

(III) burden of asthma on disproportionately affected areas, particularly those in medically underserved populations (as defined in section 330(b)(3)); and

(IV) burden of asthma as a chronic disease that can be worsened by environmental exposures;

(iv) the identification of programs and policies that have achieved the steps described under clause (iii), and steps that may be taken to expand such programs and policies to benefit larger populations; and

(v) recommendations for future research and interventions.

(2) Subsequent reports

(A) Congressional request. During the 5-year period following the submission of the second report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit updates and revisions of the report upon the request of the Congress.

(B) Five-year reevaluation. At the end of the 5-year period referred to in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—

(i) evaluate the analyses and recommendations made in previous reports; and

(ii) determine whether an additional report is needed and if so submit such an updated report to the Congress, including appropriate recommendations.

(g) Authorization of appropriations funding. In addition to any other authorization of appropriations that is available to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to such Centers $65,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the purpose of carrying out this section.

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