A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 652.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
The Transparency in Billing Act of 2026 seeks to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. It aims to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to only pay claims for services provided at off-campus outpatient departments if specific billing requirements are met. Specifically, hospitals must use a separate unique health identifier for those departments. The bill also prohibits hospitals from holding individuals liable for such services if these requirements are not satisfied. Finally, it establishes a process for reporting violations and grants the Secretary authority to assess civil monetary penalties against hospitals.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates a process for reporting suspected hospital billing violations to the Secretary.
- Scored +3
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill prevents patients from being held liable for medical bills that do not meet specific transparency requirements.
- Scored +3
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill protects patients from being held liable for services at off-campus outpatient departments if specific billing identifiers are not provided.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection from Liability: Under Section 3(a), a hospital may not hold an individual liable for items and services provided at an off-campus outpatient department if the hospital fails to obtain or include a separate unique health identifier for that department.
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Increased Billing Accuracy: The bill, as described in the introductory text, aims to ensure that group health plans and issuers only pay claims submitted by hospitals that have policies and procedures in place to ensure accurate billing practices.
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Reporting Mechanism: Section 3(b) requires the Secretary to establish a process within one year of enactment so that suspected violations of the billing requirements can be reported.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Financial Penalties for Hospitals: Under Section 4, the Secretary is granted authority to assess civil monetary penalties against hospitals that violate the honest billing requirements. These penalties can be up to $300 per day for hospitals with 30 beds or fewer, and up to $5,500 per day for hospitals with more than 30 beds.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill prevents patients from being held liable for medical bills that do not meet specific transparency requirements. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill provides liability protection for services received at off-campus outpatient departments often located in urban areas.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill protects patients from being held liable for services at off-campus outpatient departments if specific billing identifiers are not provided. Does this strengthen the Affordable Care Act? — The bill strengthens oversight of group health plan claim payments regarding off-campus outpatient departments.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates a process for reporting suspected hospital billing violations to the Secretary.
- 7/13/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-748.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 652.
- 5/21/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 34 - 0.
- 5/7/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 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.
Robert ScottDemocrat · Virginia