H.R. 10311House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Health Care Accountability Mission Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC

The Health Care Accountability Mission Act of 2026 amends the Social Security Act to let the federal health‑care regulator impose daily civil fines on hospitals that break required rules and put patients at immediate risk. The fines can be up to $10,000 per day and are only triggered if the hospital has been found non‑compliant in the prior two years. The law also requires the Secretary to publish each finding online and applies existing penalty procedures to these new fines. It targets certain Medicare‑participating hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals, but not nonprofit hospitals.

Key Provisions

Adds a new paragraph to Section 1866(b) allowing the Secretary of HHS to impose a civil monetary penalty of up to $10,000 per day on a hospital that fails required standards and that failure immediately endangers patients.
The penalty can be applied only if the Secretary has already made a similar determination for that hospital within the past two years.
Each determination and finding must be posted publicly on a centralized CMS website.
The same procedural rules that apply to penalties under section 1128A (except subsections a and b) will govern these new penalties.
The term “specified hospital” is limited to hospitals, critical access hospitals, or rural emergency hospitals that have an agreement under this section, and it excludes nonprofit entities.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

September 8, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 8, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

September 8, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 8, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10311

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 8, 2026

Mr. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a civil monetary penalty for certain hospitals failing to comply with certain requirements where such failure immediately jeopardizes the health or safety of patients.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Health Care Accountability Mission Act of 2026.

Establishing a civil monetary penalty for certain hospitals failing to comply with certain requirements where such failure immediately jeopardizes the health or safety of patients

Section 1866(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(5)

(A)

In the case that the Secretary makes a determination described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2) with respect to a specified hospital and finds that the failure that is the subject of such determination immediately jeopardizes the health or safety of individuals receiving items and services from such hospital, the Secretary may, in the case the Secretary has previously made such a determination and finding with respect to such hospital during the 2-year period ending on the date of the determination and finding at issue, in addition to or in lieu of any action authorized under paragraph (2), impose a civil monetary penalty in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for each day during which such failure was ongoing.

(B)

The Secretary shall make available on a public website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in a centralized manner each determination described in subparagraph (A) with respect to which the Secretary has made a finding described in such subparagraph.

(C)

The provisions of section 1128A (other than subsections (a) and (b) of such section) shall apply to a civil monetary penalty under subparagraph (A) in the same manner as such provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A(a).

(D)

For purposes of this paragraph, the term specified hospital means a hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital with an agreement under this section (other than such a hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital that is a nonprofit entity).