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. 10207. Seniors farmers' market nutrition program

(a) In general. Section 4402 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by striking Of the funds and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(1) Mandatory funding. Of the funds

(B) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by inserting (referred to in this section as the Secretary) after Agriculture; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(2) Authorization of appropriations. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out and expand the seniors farmers' market nutrition program—

(A) not less than $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;

(B) not less than $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2028; and

(C) not less than $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2029 through 2031.

(2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting and adults with disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)) before the semicolon at the end;

(3) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (f) through (i), respectively; and

(4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(c) Benefit amounts. Under the seniors farmers' market nutrition program—

(1) the minimum individual benefit shall be $35; and

(2) the maximum individual benefit shall be $80.

(d) Certification period. The certification period for participants in the seniors farmers' market nutrition program shall be 36 months.

(e) Modernization grants

(1) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Senior Hunger Prevention Act, the Secretary shall establish a grant program under which the Secretary shall award grants to State agencies, including Tribal organizations (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)) and territories, that administer the senior farmers’ market nutrition program to modernize program operations, including—

(A) by transitioning from paper-based coupons to an electronic transaction technology, such as a web-based service or installable software; and

(B) by increasing benefit use at farmers’ markets.

(2) Grant amount

(A) In general. The amount of a grant awarded under paragraph (1) shall not exceed $350,000.

(B) Supplies. Not more than $25,000 may be used to carry out subparagraph (F) of paragraph (3).

(3) Eligible expenses. An entity receiving a grant under paragraph (1) may use the grant for—

(A) costs associated with the procurement of electronic transaction technology;

(B) planning costs, including personnel costs, relating to electronic transaction technology procurement and implementation;

(C) costs associated with evaluating the impact of transitioning from coupon-based operations to an electronic transaction technology;

(D) training, outreach, and promotional material costs, including the costs associated with translating materials;

(E) maintenance and operation of electronic transaction technology procured using the grant during the period of performance of the grant;

(F) subject to paragraph (2)(B), the purchase of supplies needed to perform electronic transactions onsite; and

(G) additional costs associated with modernizing program operations, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(4) Reports. Each entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary and the Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service quarterly performance progress reports on the use of the grant.

(5) Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(b) Income guidelines. The Secretary of Agriculture shall revise section 249.6(a)(3) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, to ensure that income eligibility under that section is at or below 200 percent of the poverty income guidelines.

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