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HR 9696

Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act

119th Congress Introduced by Kim Schrier and 1 co-sponsor

Funds research and infrastructure to reduce diagnostic errors, improve diagnostic safety, and standardize data across federal agencies.

Introduced in House
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Bill Summary · HR 9696

Overview

  • Bill: H.R. 9696
  • Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  • Title: Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act
  • Introduced: July 15, 2026 by Rep. Beyer (with Reps. Van Drew and Schrier as co-sponsors)

  • Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

  • Intent: To improve the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of diagnosis in health care, reduce diagnostic errors and related waste, and strengthen the national framework for diagnosis-related research, data standardization, patient safety reporting, and interagency coordination.

Key Provisions

1) Research and Quality Improvement Program (Public Health Service Act, Title IX, Part B)

  • Adds new Sec. 918: Research and Quality Improvement Program focused on diagnostic safety.
  • Objectives:
    • Assess diagnostic errors and delays; identify and eliminate common diagnostic failures.
    • Develop, implement, and disseminate evidence-based strategies to improve diagnostic quality, safety, timeliness, and reduce waste from diagnostic errors.
  • Activities include:
    • Building a portfolio aligned with Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) objectives: understanding errors, translating research into practice, implementation research, and stakeholder collaboration.
    • Establishing Research Centers of Diagnostic Excellence connected to clinical practice in diverse locations (academic centers and provider-based networks).
    • Providing financial assistance to establish or operate centers.
    • Creating a multi-stakeholder advisory committee (including patients and patient-advocacy groups) to guide planning, implementation, and evaluation, with emphasis on data science, AI, patient lived experience, and patient-centered outcomes.
  • Authorization of Appropriations: $45 million per year for FY 2027–2031, with funds available until expended.

2) Patient Safety Reporting and Learning Infrastructure

  • Creates a plan within 1 year to modernize mechanisms for voluntary reporting of diagnostic error and other safety events by patients, families, and caregivers.
  • Reports collected would be confidential in civil/criminal proceedings and used only for public health learning and improvement (not admissible as evidence against parties).
  • Plan goals:
    • Modernize federal approaches to capture and use patient-reported safety data while protecting privacy.
    • Explore AI, NLP, and data science methods to detect safety signals from patient reports.
    • Align reporting with existing federal safety and patient experience programs to minimize burden.
    • Coordinate pilots and scale successful reporting mechanisms for ongoing improvement.
  • Authorized Appropriations: $20 million per year for FY 2027–2030, available until expended.

3) Fellowships and Training (Public Health Service Act)

  • Expands recognition of diagnostic safety and quality research within fellowship and training programs.
  • AHRQ and related sections updated to explicitly include diagnostic safety and quality as areas for training and program purposes.

4) Quality Measure Development

  • Amends Section 931(c)(2) to add “diagnostic safety and quality” as a designated area for quality measures development.

5) Standardized Data for Diagnosis Research and Improvement

  • Requires Secretary of Health and Human Services to promote standardization and interoperability of data elements to support diagnostic safety research.
  • Establishes an expert panel (in coordination with NIH, NLM, ONC, and other HHS offices) to recommend:
    • United States Core Data for Interoperability elements relevant to diagnosing (including symptom presentations, chief complaints, and diagnostic status).
    • Symptom-based clinical registries and enhanced data capabilities to support research and improvement.
  • Secretary to provide a summary of recommendations and actions.
  • Authorization of Appropriations: Not specified as a fixed amount; “such sums as may be necessary” for FY 2027–2029, with funds available until expended.

6) Interagency Council on Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

  • Establishes an Interagency Council within HHS to coordinate diagnosis-improvement efforts.
  • Objectives:
    • Promote scientific research, dissemination, and implementation to improve diagnosis.
    • Identify and address barriers to diagnosing research.
    • Align research with agency missions and improve the translational pipeline.
  • Membership:
    • Chair: AHRQ Director (or designee).
    • Members from multiple federal entities (e.g., CDC, CMS, VA, DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, ONC, NHS Deputy/Chief Data Officer, CDAO, AI Officer, FDA’s CDRH, and several NIH Institutes).
    • Additional federal designees as appropriate.
  • Strategic Federal Plan:
    • Within 18 months, develop a Strategic Federal Plan to Improve Diagnosis with coordinated opportunities, policy recommendations, and interagency collaboration.
    • Biennial updates (every odd-numbered year starting after the initial plan) with progress, updates, and any legislative needs.
  • Authorization of Appropriations: $1.5 million per year for FY 2027–2030.

Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Federal health agencies and programs (AHRQ, CMS, NIH, FDA, ONC, CDO, AI Officer, NLM, DoD, VA, etc.) through new coordination, data standards, and research mandates.
  • Healthcare providers, health systems, and researchers engaged in diagnostic safety and quality improvement.
  • Patients and families, who would gain enhanced safety reporting mechanisms and advisory input.
  • Institutions hosting diagnostic excellence centers and provider-based networks involved in implementation research.
  • Funding and administration authorities would allocate new appropriations to support these activities.

Timeline and Procedural Notes

  • Short Title: Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act.
  • Enactment Path: Requires Congressional action beyond committee referrals; as introduced, it would proceed through standard legislative process.
  • Key Dates in the Bill:
    • 1-year deadline to develop and submit a patient safety reporting strategic plan after enactment.
    • 18-month deadline for the Interagency Council to deliver the Strategic Federal Plan to Congress (from enactment).
    • Biennial reporting updates starting in the odd-numbered year after initial plan submission.
  • Funding:
    • Diagnostic research/quality improvement program: $45 million/year (FY 2027–2031).
    • Patient safety reporting infrastructure: $20 million/year (FY 2027–2030).
    • Interagency Council: $1.5 million/year (FY 2027–2030).
    • Other sections: discretionary sums for data standardization and related activities.

Potential Impact

  • Aims to reduce diagnostic errors and associated harm and waste by funding comprehensive research, promoting evidence-based practices, and accelerating adoption in real-world care.
  • Strengthens patient involvement in safety initiatives and creates safer, more transparent reporting mechanisms.
  • Encourages standardization of data and interoperable data elements to advance diagnosis research and quality improvement.
  • Establishes structured interagency coordination to align federal efforts, reduce fragmentation, and accelerate learning and implementation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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