H.R. 7198: Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026

119th Congress · introduced 2026-01-22 · Health · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

federal

Official title

Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026

Plain summary

Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026 This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to study access to general surgeons by underserved populations. Specifically, HRSA must study (1) whether the health professional shortage area designation under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program accurately assesses adequacy of access to general surgeons, (2) whether another measure would be more accurate, and (3) potential methodologies for designating general surgery shortage areas. (The NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers who agree to work in areas that HRSA designates as having a shortage of those particular types of providers.) HRSA must also publish data comparing the availability and need of general surgery services in urban, suburban, and rural areas. On the basis of its study, HRSA may establish a methodology for designating general surgery shortage areas and make such designations. If any designations are made, HRSA must publish a list of general surgery shortage areas.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Official text

Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6] · 9 cosponsors

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Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr7198.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr7198 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills