H.R. 1704: ACCESS Act of 2017
Before you vote › Federal bills
H.R. 1704: ACCESS Act of 2017
115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-23 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-23 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
ACCESS Act of 2017
Plain summary
Accessible Care by Curbing Excessive lawSuitS Act of 2017 or the ACCESS Act of 2017 This bill establishes provisions governing health care lawsuits where coverage for the care was provided or subsidized by the federal government. The bill does not preempt certain state laws and federal vaccine injury laws and rules. The statute of limitations is three years after the injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, whichever occurs first, with exceptions. Noneconomic damages are limited to $250,000. Juries may not be informed of this limitation. Courts must supervise the payment of damages and may restrict attorney contingency fees. The bill sets limits on contingency fees. Certain evidence regarding collateral source benefits (e.g., insurance payments) may be introduced in lawsuits involving injury or wrongful death. The bill provides for periodic payment of future damage awards. A health care provider who prescribes, or dispenses pursuant to a prescription, a medical product approved by the Food and Drug Administration may not be a party to a liability lawsuit or class action lawsuit regarding the product. Expressions of apology, fault, or sympathy by health care providers or their employees to patients or their relatives or representatives regarding suffering, injury, or death from an unanticipated outcome of care are inadmissible as evidence of liability. A person must give a health care provider 90 days' notice before commencing a lawsuit, with exceptions. An affidavit of merit signed by a health care professional who qualifies as an expert witness must be filed simultaneously with a lawsuit. The bill establishes qualifications for expert witnesses.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.
Limited to a few requests an hour per person.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Arguments against (opponents)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8] · 2 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8] reported raising $4.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- Rulemaking
- The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
- Statute
- A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr1704.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>
Record fed-us-cong115-hr1704 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115