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

H Tuberculosis

I Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases

Sec. 7801. Osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal health-related activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(a) Education and awareness activities. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall direct the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to conduct and expand the Health Community Program and Arthritis Program to educate the public on—

(1) the causes of, preventive health actions for, and effects of arthritis, lupus, and other musculoskeletal conditions in minority patient populations; and

(2) the effects of such conditions on other comorbidities including obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

(b) Programs on arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. Education and awareness programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions in minority communities shall—

(1) be culturally and linguistically appropriate to minority patients, targeting musculoskeletal health promotion and prevention programs of each major ethnic group, including—

(A) Native Americans and Alaska Natives;

(B) Asian Americans;

(C) African Americans and Blacks;

(D) Hispanic and Latino Americans; and

(E) Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders; and

(2) include public awareness campaigns directed toward these patient populations that emphasize the importance of musculoskeletal health, physical activity, diet and healthy lifestyle, and weight reduction for overweight and obese patients.

(c) Authorization of appropriations. To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2027 and each subsequent fiscal year.

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