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

X Addressing Social Determinants and Improving Environmental Justice

A In General

B Gun Violence

C Nutrition for women, children, families

1 Senior hunger prevention

Sec. 10203. Streamlining nutrition access for older adults and adults with disabilities

(a) Definition of elderly and disabled. Section 3(j) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(j)) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking the subsection designation and all that follows through who and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(j) Elderly or disabled. The term elderly or disabled, with respect to an individual or member of a household, means that the individual or member of the household

; and

(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting (which includes medical assistance provided to an individual described in section 1902(e)(14)(D)(i)(III) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(14)(D)(i)(III))) after (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).

(b) Elderly simplified application program. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

31. Elderly simplified application program

(a) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the elderly simplified application program (referred to in this section as ESAP), under which a State, in carrying out the supplemental nutrition assistance program, may elect to implement a streamlined application and certification process for households in which all adult members—

(1) are elderly or disabled members; and

(2) have no earned income.

(b) Certification period. The certification period for participants in ESAP shall be 36 months.

(c) Income and other data verification

(1) In general. A State agency determining the eligibility for an applicant household under ESAP shall, notwithstanding section 11(e)(3)—

(A) to the maximum extent practicable, use data matching for income verification and household size; and

(B)

(i) allow self-declaration by the applicant of the information required under section 273.2(f) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation); but

(ii) verify, prior to certification of the household, factors of eligibility provided by the applicant that the State agency determines are questionable.

(2) Accountability and fraud prevention. In carrying out paragraph (1), a State agency shall establish accountability and fraud protection measures to deter fraud and ensure the integrity of ESAP and the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(d) Interviews

(1) In general. Notwithstanding section 11(e)(6)(A), for recertification of a household under ESAP, a State agency shall not require an interview unless requested by the household.

(2) Virtual interviews. An interview under paragraph (1) may be conducted virtually.

(e) Guidance. Prior to the establishment of ESAP under subsection (a), the Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service shall develop guidance for States, including by consulting with States, to carry out ESAP, which shall include—

(1) general implementation guidelines;

(2) reporting requirements;

(3) quality control requirements; and

(4) best practices.

(c) Combined application program. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) (as amended by subsection (b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

32. Combined application program

(a) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a program, to be known as the combined application program (referred to in this section as CAP), under which a State, in carrying out the supplemental nutrition assistance program, may elect to implement a streamlined application process for households in which all adult members are applicants for or recipients of benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) on the basis of a disability or supplemental security income under title XVI of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).

(b) Purposes. The purposes of CAP are—

(1) to reduce the need for households described in subsection (a) to have in-person interviews with State offices administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and

(2) to increase participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program by simplifying the application process for the supplemental nutrition assistance program through increased automation and simplified calculation of benefits.

(c) CAP models. The Secretary, in coordination with the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, shall offer, at a minimum, each of the following models for States to implement CAP:

(1) Standard model

(A) In general. Under the standard model, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and the State agency administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall coordinate—

(i) to develop a simplified joint application process for the supplemental nutrition assistance program that uses standardized benefit amounts or standardized shelter expenses, in accordance with this paragraph; and

(ii) to conduct outreach to adult members receiving supplemental security income under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) that are not receiving benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(B) Standardized benefit amounts

(i) In general. Under the standardized model described in subparagraph (A), applicants shall receive a standardized or automated benefit level under the supplemental nutrition assistance program based on the shelter expenses and other income of the applicants.

(ii) Minimum standardized benefit levels. At a minimum, there shall be in effect 2 standardized benefit levels under clause (i), including, as determined by the State—

(I) a level for participants with low shelter expenses; and

(II) a level for participants with high shelter expenses.

(iii) Comparable amount. A State shall ensure that the amount provided under a standardized benefit level under clause (i) is comparable to an amount that a participant would otherwise receive under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(iv) Referral. A State shall refer a household described in subsection (a) to the supplemental nutrition assistance program instead of enrolling that household in CAP if the standardized amount that the household would receive under CAP would be significantly less than the amount of benefits that the household would receive under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(C) Standardized shelter expenses. In computing an excess shelter expense deduction under section 5(e)(6), a State agency may use a standard utility allowance in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary.

(2) Modified model. Under the modified model, a State agency administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall—

(A) conduct outreach to prospective participants in the supplemental nutrition assistance program using information from the Social Security Administration to identify households described in subsection (a) that are not participants in the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and

(B) send to those households simplified application forms for the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

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