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

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

Sec. 7901E–2. Implementation and enforcement

(a) In general. Except as otherwise provided by this section—

(1) a worker heat protection standard shall have the same legal effect as an occupational safety and health standard as defined by section 3(8) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 652(8)); and

(2) any rule, regulation, or order promulgated pursuant to this subtitle shall have the same legal effect as a rule, regulation, or order promulgated pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.).

(b) Enforcement

(1) Statute of limitations for citation. No citation for any violation of section 7901E or any standard, rule, regulation, or order pursuant to this subtitle may be issued under this section later than 4 years after the occurrence of any violation.

(2) Review. The Commission shall grant substantial deference to any reasonable interpretation by the Secretary of this subtitle or any standard, regulation, or order pursuant to this subtitle.

(c) Recordkeeping and reporting

(1) In general. With regard to recordkeeping and reporting, the Secretary and Secretary of Health and Human Services shall have the same authority to prescribe regulations related to this subtitle as under section 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 657).

(2) Consolidating requirements. The Secretary may incorporate recordkeeping and reporting requirements under this section into existing recordkeeping and reporting requirements promulgated pursuant to section 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 657), provided that a violation of such a requirement with regard to implementation of this subtitle shall be enforced as a distinct violation separate and apart from any other simultaneous violation of a requirement pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

(d) Whistleblower protections

(1) Complaint. Any employee who believes that such employee has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any person in violation of section 11(c)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 660(c)(1)) with regard to any matter under or related to this subtitle may, not later than 180 days after such violation occurs, file a complaint with the Secretary following the procedures in paragraph (2) of such section alleging such discrimination.

(2) Action. If the Secretary fails to notify the complainant of the Secretary’s determination on the complaint within 90 days after such determination pursuant to section 11(c)(3) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 660(c)(3)) or determines not to bring an action pursuant to paragraph (2) of such section, such employee may bring an action in any appropriate United States District Court against such person for all appropriate relief in accordance with paragraph (2) of such section as well as reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.

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