Health centers get priority to expand into areas losing care access
H.R. 10727 — Access to Community Care Act of 2026 · Filed by Sharice Davids (D-KS) · Introduced Oct 5, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal health law to give priority consideration to applications from health centers seeking to expand services in areas that have lost access to federally qualified health centers, or that are dealing with public health emergencies or major disasters. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fast-track expansion applications from eligible entities serving these underserved areas.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a procedural priority — directing the Secretary to give 'special consideration' to expansion applications from health centers serving areas with documented access gaps. It is a targeted access measure, not a funding appropriation or regulatory change.
What the text implies
- The bill does not appropriate funds or mandate funding; it only directs priority consideration. Actual expansion depends on separate appropriations and Secretary discretion, so the practical impact may be limited if funding is not available.
- Priority consideration does not guarantee approval. The Secretary retains discretion to deny applications; the bill only requires that qualifying applications receive 'special consideration,' which is a procedural standard, not a mandate to approve.
- The definition of 'eligible entities' is not stated in this bill — it is defined in Section 330(b)(1)–(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act, which is not quoted here. The scope of entities that can benefit depends on that external definition.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill directs federal resources toward health centers expanding into areas that have lost or are losing primary care access due to facility closures or emergencies. Citizens in affected areas gain faster access to expanded services without any apparent restriction on their rights or protections.
Who stands to gain
- health centers and community health organizations eligible to expand under Section 330(b)(1)–(b)(2)
Named in the bill
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Public Health Service Act Section 330, Social Security Act Section 1861(aa), Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
Where it stands
- Oct 5, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 5, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,263 characters) on Oct 7, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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