# 119-hr-7790: Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2026

119-hr-7790, Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7790
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7790
- Congress: 119
- Title: Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-04
- Sponsor: Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**No-cost access to medical records** would be the default rule for people requesting copies or plain-language summaries of their protected health information. The bill would narrowly limit when providers can charge fees, allow cross-provider transmission in usable formats, and require HHS to write implementing rules. - Patients and caregivers: Would get copies of PHI or summaries at no charge except for duplicate requests made in the same calendar year or for non-electronic copies when the provider already posts the records for free on an online portal. - Health care providers: Could charge fees only in those narrow situations and may send records to another provider in any form and format that is readily usable by the receiving provider. - Attorneys: Lawyers representing individuals would not be covered by the no-cost requirement for copies. - Federal regulators: The Secretary of Health and Human Services would have 6 months to issue regulations and the rule would apply to requests made 180 days after enactment.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Free access to your medical records: benefit, low. If enacted, you would be able to get most copies, summaries, or explanations of your protected health information without a fee. A provider could charge only when you ask for a duplicate copy or duplicate summary already given to you in the same calendar year, or when you ask for a non-electronic c…
- HHS must write rules within six months: benefit, low. If enacted, the Department of Health and Human Services would have six months after enactment to issue or amend regulations to implement the new access, fee, and record-transfer requirements in the bill. The requirement sets a deadline for rulemaking and does not itself provide money to HHS.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-7790 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7790)

## Related
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7790 (as of 2026-04-21).