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119-hr-7198119th CongressWALLET
Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Bera, Ami [D-CA-6]
Introduced
Summary
Create a federal framework to study and designate general surgery shortage areas. This bill would direct the Health Resources and Services Administration to measure where general surgeons are scarce and develop methods and thresholds to identify shortage and critical shortage areas.
Show full summary
- Patients and families: Would give clearer data on local surgical access by reporting wait times, travel times, and patient experience so planners can target care.
- Rural communities: Notes rural areas have about 69% of the general surgeons needed and focuses designation work on those gaps.
- Hospitals and health systems: Would map hospitals with surgery services and count actively practicing general surgeons using Medicare patient origin data to define surgery service areas.
- Policymakers and workforce planners: Would set four levels: optimal, adequate, shortage, and critical shortage and require HRSA to consult medical societies and publish lists and data for planning.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Study and name surgery shortage areas
This bill would require HHS, through HRSA, to study access to general surgeons and test whether current shortage rules work. The Secretary would report the study to Congress within 1 year and publish regular Federal Register data comparing urban, suburban, and rural needs. The bill would define a “general surgery shortage area” and would let the Secretary make rules to designate such areas. If the Secretary issues rules, they would have to publish lists of designated areas, review them yearly, follow notice-and-comment procedures, and consult medical societies, surgical facilities, surgery experts, and patient groups.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bera, Ami [D-CA-6]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
NE • R
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13]
PA • R
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
GA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]
KS • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov