Padilla Leads Tri-Caucus in Introducing Sweeping Health Equity Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), along with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representatives Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), and Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06) announced the reintroduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) of 2026, bicameral legislation that would address health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities as well as women, the LGBTQ+ community, rural populations, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities across the United States. HEAA was introduced in coordination with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), collectively known as the Congressional Tri-Caucus.

"Affordable, culturally competent healthcare is a right all Americans deserve," said Senator Padilla. "Systemic inequities coupled with the Trump Administration's attacks on Medicaid and cuts to hospitals have led to historically marginalized groups without access to essential care. Our bill will help dismantle barriers to care by expanding access to mental health and reproductive care, addressing diseases that disproportionately impact underserved communities, and improving the data we need to better identify and reduce health disparities."

"As The Trump regime and Congressional Republicans continue to attack healthcare and diversity initiatives from all fronts, working to ensure healthcare is affordable and accessible to all has never been more relevant. We know that people of color and other marginalized groups face unique challenges that require targeted solutions, and restoring the coverage the Trump regime stripped away is just the baseline," said Senator Hirono. "From investing in stronger data protection to ensuring health resources are accessible to all, this legislation is a critical step to ensuring our healthcare is truly equitable."

"For too long, too many people in underserved communities have been forced to fight harder for the care they need-facing higher barriers, fewer resources, and a health care system that too often fails them," said Senator Booker. "These disparities are not just statistics; they represent lives lost, families impacted, and communities left behind. This legislation takes a critical step toward breaking down the systemic barriers that stand between people and the timely, effective, and equitable care they deserve."

HEAA builds upon policies enacted under landmark healthcare legislation, including the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, and lays out additional investments and policy changes to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities, address systemic health inequities, and ensure access to high-quality and affordable healthcare for all. The bill aims to increase access to healthcare for vulnerable communities across the entire spectrum of care by taking a comprehensive approach to health equity.

Specifically, HEAA would eliminate racial and ethnic health inequities by:

• Expanding access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care
• Strengthening and diversifying the healthcare workforce
• Removing cost, citizenship, and administrative barriers to coverage and care
• Increasing federal support for Medicare, Medicaid, and public health systems
• Establishing innovative models for maternal, child, mental, and behavioral health
• Funding prevention programs for high-impact diseases that disproportionately affect marginalized populations
• Modernizing data collection efforts and expanding telehealth access
• Addressing the social determinants of health through investments in nutrition, environmental justice, and community-based supports so that health outcomes improve and disparities are systematically reduced
• Reinstating all offices and agencies which have worked tirelessly to ensure people have access to the healthcare every American deserves and rescinds recent Executive Orders attacking American communities

In addition to Padilla, Booker, and Hirono, in the Senate the bill is cosponsored by Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). In addition to Ruiz, Kelly, and Meng, in the House the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-33), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24), Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.-07), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Pablo Hernández (D-PR-AL), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Ill.-04), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.-07), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.-13), Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.-11), Christian Menefee (D-Texas-18), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.-13), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.-04), Troy Carter (D-La.-02), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05), and Emily Randall (D-Wash.-06).

"I grew up the son of farmworkers, and I became an emergency physician because I saw what happens when our communities don't have access to care in time," said Representative Ruiz. "No family should have to choose between a day's wages and a doctor's visit or go without care because of their zip code or income. The Health Equity and Accountability Act takes real, comprehensive steps to close these gaps, strengthening our health care workforce, investing in maternal and mental health, and holding our health care system accountable for results. I'm proud to lead this fight alongside my Tri-Caucus colleagues and partners."

"The Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) is a comprehensive, bold commitment to closing health equity gaps, expanding language and mental health access, and improving research diversity on health disparities across our entire healthcare system," said CBC Health Braintrust Chair, Congresswoman Robin Kelly. "With the inclusion of my legislation, the Access to Birth Control Act and the WELLS Act, HEAA directly strengthens reproductive healthcare and ensures every mother receives safe, dignified care during childbirth. On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am proud to co-lead the introduction of this bill to deliver the equitable, high-quality care that every American deserves."

"Every American-no matter their race or socioeconomic background-deserves access to affordable, high-quality health care," said Representative Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "Yet too often, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders face obstacles to care, from language barriers to a shortage of culturally competent providers. That's why I am proud to join my Tri-Caucus colleagues in introducing the Health Equity and Accountability Act, a bold piece of legislation that will improve health outcomes and address everything from health disparities to language access for minority and underserved communities across the country. At a time when the president and congressional Republicans are stripping health care coverage from millions of people, we will keep fighting for a future where health care is accessible for all."

"Health disparities for some are a drag on health care for all. This legislation is designed to make our health care system more robust by targeting structural inequalities. Latino communities continue to face some of the starkest barriers to care in our nation-from language access to insurance coverage to chronic underinvestment-and those inequities have only deepened under the relentless attacks on health care from the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans," said Representative Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "That is why CHC Members are proud to take up the mantle of Tri-Caucus leadership in introducing this bill, because at a moment when so much is under threat, our communities cannot afford anything less than a bold, comprehensive vision for health equity."

"Every American deserves access to quality health care, no matter where they come from, what language they speak, or how much they earn," said Congresswoman Matsui. "The Health Equity and Accountability Act recognizes that our communities are not monolithic and strengthens language access, improves health data, and expands culturally responsive care so every patient is treated with dignity. That means building a healthcare system that reflects the people it serves and meets their distinct needs."

Padilla also joined his Democratic colleagues in introducing HEAA in 2024. Over 300 racial and health equity organizations, researchers, provider groups, and community-based organizations have contributed to the development of HEAA since its inception.

HEAA is endorsed by over 40 organizations, including UnidosUS; National Minority Quality Forum; Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); Prevention Institute; AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families; National Black Women's HIV/AIDS Network, Inc.; First Focus Campaign for Children; American Kidney Fund; National Hispanic Health Foundation; National Urban League; Housing Works; Hepatitis B Foundation; Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO); Montefiore Starfish Program; Health Betterment Initiative; National Health Law Program; The Praxis Project; National Kidney Foundation; Healthy Kinder International, LLC; The LGBTQIA+ Cancer Network; Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Families USA; Justice in Aging; National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC); CenterLink; African American Health Alliance; Equality California; Silver State Equality; Coalition for Asian American Children and Families; National Partnership for Women and Families; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice; Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Hyperemesis Education & Research (HER) Foundation; Power to Decide; AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services; Korean Community Services of Metropolitan, Inc.; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).

"At a moment when historic cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage threaten the health and financial security of millions, the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) offers a vital path forward," said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía. "For Latino families, HEAA would help ensure that language, cost, immigration status or ZIP code never stand between a person and the care they need, while strengthening a diverse healthcare workforce for the future. We commend the Congressional Tri-Caucus for its decades of persistence and solidarity in advancing the principle that every person deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life."

"The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) is honored to support the reintroduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA), which includes thoughtful and impactful measures to close gaps in health and in health care that have long plagued the nation," said Gary Puckrein, President and CEO, National Minority Quality Forum. "As a national patient advocacy and research organization focused on the reduction of patient risk across all populations, NMQF believes that if we are serious about ending health inequities, we have to be serious about evaluation, oversight and accountability. We must ensure that programs designed to eliminate all health inequities are not only well-intentioned, but rigorously evaluated, transparently reported, and relentlessly improved in service of a healthier and fairer nation. Health equity cannot be achieved by good intentions alone; it requires a system that tracks outcomes, exposes gaps, and demands progress until every community has a fair chance at optimal health."

"At a time when many of the hard-won gains in health equity are under threat, the Health Equity and Accountability Act reaffirms our nation's commitment to ensuring that every community has the opportunity to achieve optimal health," said Juliet K. Choi, President and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. "This landmark legislation reflects the enduring partnership between the Congressional Tri-Caucus and community leaders to advance evidence-based policies, from improving representative data collection and language access to expanding clinical trial participation and addressing persistent disparities affecting Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and historically and medically underserved communities."

"NHeLP is proud to support the reintroduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA)," said Jennifer Cannistra, Executive Director, National Health Law Program. "Now more than ever, HEAA lays the groundwork we need to ensure people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with limited English proficiency can get equal access to the high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate care they need."

"Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) need effective communication with their health care providers and the health care system to enroll in coverage, prevent medical errors, understand diagnosis, and actively participate in their care," said Mara Youdelman, Managing Director of Federal Advocacy, National Health Law Program. "HEAA provides critical steps to ensure that language access services are both widely accessible and paid for. An LEP individual should never have to face the question of whether language services are provided but instead only has to answer what is the best way to communicate with them."

"Families USA proudly supports the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026, which offers vital policy solutions to eliminate the long-standing health disparities worsened by recent historic federal health care cuts," said Anthony Wright, Executive Director, Families USA. "As a longtime health consumer advocates, we support these bold policies to improve our health system for everyone, and especially to meet the specific and immediate needs of vulnerable communities under attack right now, including immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and communities of color. HEAA recognizes that our health system is stronger when everyone is included, with broad improvements for all coupled with specific efforts to address the health gaps and issues in specific communities."

Senator Padilla has been a leader in the fight to make healthcare more equitable, affordable, and accessible in the United States. Yesterday, he and Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced MediKids, monumental legislation guaranteeing healthcare to all children in America from birth to age 26. Earlier this year, Padilla and Representative Josh Harder (D-Calif.-09) introduced the Health Investment Zones Act, bicameral legislation to help address healthcare disparities by designating Health Investment Zones (HIZs) for areas facing measurable gaps in income, life expectancy, or the number of providers. Last year, Padilla, Booker, and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced the Equal Health Care for All Act, legislation that would make equal access to medical care a protected civil right to help address the racial inequities and structural failures in America's healthcare system that have led to higher mortality rates in communities of color. Padilla also is a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act, historic legislation that would guarantee healthcare as a fundamental human right to all people in the United States regardless of income or background.

Full text of the bill is available here.

A one-pager of the bill is available here.

Video of Padilla's remarks is available here.

Video of today's press conference is available here.

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