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

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

Sec. 9006. GAO and NIH reports

(a) GAO report on NIH grant racial and ethnic diversity

(1) In general. The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the racial and ethnic diversity among the following groups:

(A) All applicants for grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements awarded by the National Institutes of Health during the period beginning on January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2035.

(B) All recipients of such grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements during such period.

(C) All members of the peer review panels of such applicants and recipients, respectively.

(2) Report. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall complete the study under paragraph (1) and submit to Congress a report containing the results of such study.

(b) NIH report on certain authority of National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, shall submit to Congress a report that details and evaluates—

(1) the steps taken during the applicable report period by the Director of the National Institutes of Health to plan, coordinate, review, and evaluate all minority health and health disparity research that is conducted or supported by the institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health; and

(2) the outcomes of such steps.

(c) GAO report related to recipients of PPACA funding. Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report that identifies—

(1) the racial and ethnic diversity of community-based organizations that applied for Federal enrollment funding provided pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148) (including the amendments made by such Act);

(2) the percentage of such organizations that were awarded such funding; and

(3) the impact of such community-based organizations’ enrollment efforts on the insurance status of their communities.

(d) Annual report on activities of National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities shall prepare an annual report on the activities carried out or to be carried out by such institute, and shall submit each such report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the National Institutes of Health. With respect to the fiscal year involved, the report shall—

(1) describe and evaluate the progress made in health disparities research conducted or supported by institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health;

(2) summarize and analyze expenditures made for activities with respect to health disparities research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health;

(3) include a separate statement applying the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) specifically to minority health disparities research; and

(4) contain such recommendations as the Director of the Institute considers appropriate.

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