A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Physician and Patient Safety Act," directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create new regulations regarding physician rights. It focuses on physicians who have been granted medical staff privileges at a hospital. The goal is to ensure these physicians receive a fair hearing and the ability to appeal decisions before their professional activity or staff privileges are terminated, restricted, or reduced. These regulations must prevent the denial of rights through third-party contracts or as a condition of employment. Finally, the rules mandate that these hearings remain confidential under specific circumstances.
Yes
- Scored +8
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill establishes mandatory due process rights including hearings and appeals for physicians.
- Scored +5
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill directs the Secretary of HHS to issue new federal regulations for hospitals.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Fair Hearing and Appellate Review: Physicians who have been granted medical staff privileges at a hospital would gain access to a fair hearing and an appeal process before their professional activity or staff privileges are changed, as described in Section 2(a).
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Protection of Rights: The bill prevents physicians from being forced to waive their right to a hearing or review as a condition of their employment, which protects their legal standing, according to Section 2(b)(2).
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Confidentiality of Proceedings: To protect a physician's reputation, the regulations would ensure that hearings or reviews are confidential and not reported to future employers or the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless there is an ongoing threat to patient safety or other specific legal requirements, as stated in Section 2(b)(3).
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Prevention of Contractual Denials: The bill ensures that a physician's right to a hearing or review cannot be taken away through a third-party contract, as noted in Section 2(b)(1).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Exceptions to Confidentiality: While the bill seeks confidentiality, it allows for the reporting of hearings to entities like the National Practitioner Data Bank or future employers if there is an ongoing threat to patient safety or as required by existing reporting requirements, as mentioned in Section 2(b)(3).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill establishes mandatory due process rights including hearings and appeals for physicians. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill directs the Secretary of HHS to issue new federal regulations for hospitals.
- 8/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/17/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/26/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/15/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/12/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/14/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ami BeraDemocrat · California
Josh HarderDemocrat · California
Val HoyleDemocrat · Oregon
John JoyceRepublican · Pennsylvania
Gregory MurphyRepublican · North Carolina
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Scott PetersDemocrat · California