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S 1580 109th Congress Senate

Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act

Official title: A bill to improve the health of minority individuals.

Introduced: July 29, 2005 See on congress.gov
Health Access to health careAccident preventionAgricultural laborAgriculture and Food
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This bill died when the 109th Congress ended
It never became law before the 109th Congress (2005–2006) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 10, 2006
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1070)
Jul 29, 2005
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jul 29, 2005
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9498-9499)
Jul 29, 2005
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action February 10, 2006

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1070)

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - FamilyCare Act of 2005 - Renames title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act as the FamilyCare Program and extends coverage to certain low-income adults.

Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide limited English proficient individuals with improved access to health care, including by establishing the Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare.

Provides for activities regarding: (1) health workforce diversity; (2) disparities in health and health care experienced by indigenous, racial, and ethnic minorities; and (3) data collection, analysis, and reporting by race, ethnicity, and primary language.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) the Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights to prevent discrimination in federal programs; and (2) the Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs.

Restablishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health.

Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2005 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission to study issues relating to genomics research as applied to minority groups.

Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.

Sets forth programs designed to improve the quality of and access to health care for minorities, including by establishing the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund.

Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) the Annie Dodge Wauneka and Susan Laflesche-Picotte Native American Health and Wellness Foundation; and (2) a Joint Working Group on Telehealth.

Authorizes integrative eldercare, American Indian and Alaska Native, and oral health telehealth demonstration projects.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1580: Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act. 109th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/109-S-1580/
MLA
"S. 1580: Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act." 109th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/109-S-1580/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1580, 109th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/109-S-1580/.
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[S. 1580: Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/109-S-1580/)
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