H.R. 9877

Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsor: Raul Ruiz

26 cosponsors
Follow this bill

Official summary

No official summary yet.

Text of the bill

Expand all

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

X Addressing Social Determinants and Improving Environmental Justice

A In General

Sec. 10010. Investing in community healing

(a) Sense of Congress. It is the sense of Congress that it is imperative that a comprehensive public health approach to addressing trauma and mental health care be focused on care delivery that is culturally sensitive and competent.

(b) Research on adverse health effects associated with interactions with law enforcement

(1) In general. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (established pursuant to section 1707A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6a)), shall conduct research on the adverse health effects associated with interactions with law enforcement.

(2) Effects among racial and ethnic minorities. The research under paragraph (1) shall include research on—

(A) the health consequences, both individual and community-wide, of trauma related to violence committed by law enforcement among racial and ethnic minorities; and

(B) the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality associated with such trauma.

(3) Report. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—

(A) complete the research under this subsection; and

(B) submit to Congress a report on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations resulting from such research.

(c) Grants for increasing racial and ethnic minority access to high-Quality trauma support services and mental health care

(1) In general. The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall award grants to eligible entities to establish or expand programs for the purpose of increasing racial and ethnic minority access to high-quality trauma support services and mental health care.

(2) Eligible entities. To seek a grant under this subsection, an entity shall be a community-based program or organization that—

(A) provides culturally competent programs and resources that are aligned with evidence-based practices for trauma-informed care; and

(B) has demonstrated expertise in serving communities of color or can partner with a program that has such demonstrated expertise.

(3) Use of funds. As a condition on receipt of a grant under this subsection, a grantee shall agree to use the grant to increase racial and ethnic minority access to high-quality trauma support services and mental health care, such as by—

(A) establishing and maintaining community-based programs providing evidence-based services in trauma-informed care and culturally specific services and other resources;

(B) developing innovative culturally specific strategies and projects to enhance access to trauma-informed care and resources for racial and ethnic minorities who face obstacles to using more traditional services and resources (such as obstacles in geographic access to providers, insurance coverage, and access to audio and video technologies);

(C) working with State and local governments and social service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to provide culturally specific services to racial and ethnic minorities;

(D) increasing communities’ capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for communities of color;

(E) working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding racial and ethnic minorities;

(F) providing culturally specific programs for racial and ethnic minorities exposed to law enforcement violence; and

(G) examining the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing.

(4) Priority. In awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities proposing to serve communities that have faced high rates of community trauma, including from exposure to law enforcement violence, intergenerational poverty, civil unrest, discrimination, or oppression.

(5) Grant period. The period of a grant under this subsection shall be 4 years.

(6) Evaluation. Not later than 6 months after the end of the period of all grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall—

(A) conduct an evaluation of the programs funded by a grant under this subsection;

(B) include in such evaluation an assessment of the outcomes of each such program; and

(C) submit a report on the results of such evaluation to Congress.

(7) Authorization of appropriations. To carry out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

(d) Behavioral and mental health outreach education strategy

(1) In general. The Secretary, in coordination with advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving racial and ethnic minority groups, shall develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health, and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions, among racial and ethnic minorities.

(2) Design. The strategy under this subsection shall be designed to—

(A) meet the diverse cultural and language needs of racial and ethnic minority groups;

(B) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and treatments;

(C) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illness among racial and ethnic minority groups; and

(D) ensure full participation of, and engage, both consumers and community members in the development and implementation of materials.

(3) Report. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report detailing the outreach and education strategy that is developed and implemented under this subsection and the results of such implementation.

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