SECURE Health Act

Bill Number: H.R. 8011
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Health
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-03-19: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Last Updated: 2026-06-19T08:05:32Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The SECURE Health Act (H.R. 8011) aims to boost global health security, promote stable societies, and save lives—especially children's—by clarifying and focusing U.S. support for frontline health workers (such as doctors, nurses, and community health providers) through global health and humanitarian aid programs.

Key Provisions

Findings (Sec. 2): Lists 19 facts highlighting the importance of global health workers for pandemic prevention, economic stability, U.S. security, child/maternal health, and addressing shortages (e.g., projected 11 million worker shortfall by 2030).
U.S. Policy (Sec. 3): Prioritizes expanding, training, paying, equipping, and protecting frontline health workers; shifts from single-disease funding to integrated investments (covering multiple health needs); requires host countries to contribute to salaries with plans for self-funding.
Global Health Workforce Strategy (Sec. 4): President must create and update a 5-year plan tracking U.S. spending on health workers from aid funds, with measurable goals; federal agencies must align their policies.
Global Health Workforce Coordinator (Sec. 5): President appoints a coordinator in the State Department to oversee implementation and approve aid allocations for health workers.
Interagency Task Force (Sec. 6): Established in the National Security Council (NSC), co-chaired by the coordinator and an NSC senior director, to coordinate across agencies.
Annual Reporting (Sec. 7): President issues yearly public reports on U.S. efforts, including funding breakdowns by worker type, direct/indirect support, single-disease vs. integrated funding, training (pre-service, in-service, digital), salaries (with transition plans), and worker protections.
Global Reporting (Sec. 8): U.S. supports an independent biennial report (outside UN/donor systems) on worldwide health workforce status, funding, and policies.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Introduces new mandates not previously required: a formal 5-year strategy, a dedicated coordinator position, an NSC task force, detailed annual U.S. reports, and pursuit of a global independent report.
Shifts U.S. aid policy from siloed (disease-specific) to integrated health worker support, with sustainability requirements like host-country salary contributions—building on but expanding existing global health programs (e.g., HIV, malaria initiatives).

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Increases coordination and reporting duties for State Department, NSC, Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence committees, and aid agencies (e.g., USAID); may streamline spending but add administrative workload.
Citizens: Indirect U.S. benefits include better pandemic prevention, stable global supply chains, and bolstered domestic healthcare (noting 18% of U.S. health workers are immigrants); no direct citizen costs beyond federal spending.
International Relations: Enhances U.S. leadership in global health, aiding low/middle-income countries, humanitarian crises, and allies; promotes worker protections in conflicts, potentially reducing instability and disease spread.

Main Stakeholders

U.S. Government: President, State Department, NSC, aid agencies, and congressional committees (Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence).
Frontline Health Workers: Global providers, especially in low-resource areas, gaining training, pay, equipment, and protection.
Host Countries/Communities: Low/middle-income nations, crisis-affected populations (e.g., 300 million needing aid in 2024), benefiting from resilient health systems.
International Partners: Non-UN organizations for global reporting; donors and host governments required to co-fund.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Creates enforceable administrative duties (e.g., strategies, reports) via presidential action; relies on existing foreign aid authorities without specifying new funding.
Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power and President's foreign affairs role; no apparent conflicts.
Political: Bipartisan introduction (Rep. Kiggans and Rep. Bera); emphasizes national security/economic ties to global health, potentially bridging aid debates; referred to multiple committees for broad oversight.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

Cosponsors (3)

Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]

Recent Actions

2026-03-19: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2026-03-19: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2026-03-19: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2026-03-19: Introduced in House
2026-03-19: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Strengthening and Expanding Capacity for Unified Response and Excellence in Health Act — issued 2026-03-19 — PDF (11 pages)