To amend the Public Health Service Act to update quality standards for mammography facilities for the use of AI systems, and for other purposes.

Bill Number

H.R. 8526

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Health

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-04-27: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-05-19T15:52:41Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This bill (H.R. 8526) aims to modernize quality standards for mammography facilities under the Public Health Service Act by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning systems into processes previously limited to physicians. This supports the integration of advanced technology in breast cancer screening while maintaining safety standards.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 354(f)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 263b(f)(1)), which outlines quality standards for mammography under the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA).
• Subparagraph (D): Expands eligibility for certain interpretive or quality assurance roles to include "a physician, or a machine-learning or artificial intelligence system," replacing language limited to physicians only. Grammatical updates ("who" to "that") accommodate non-human systems.
• Subparagraph (G)(ii)(I): Removes the requirement for reports or records to be "signed by the interpreting physician."

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Previously, standards required human physicians for specific interpretive tasks and signatures; the bill explicitly allows AI/machine-learning systems to perform these roles.
• Eliminates the physician signature mandate in designated reporting contexts, streamlining documentation when AI is involved.
• No broader changes to accreditation, equipment, or patient safety requirements.

Potential Impacts

• Government agencies: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which enforce MQSA, may need to update guidance, inspections, or approval processes for AI tools in mammography.
• Citizens: Could improve access to faster, more efficient breast cancer screenings, potentially increasing early detection rates, especially in underserved areas with radiologist shortages.
• No direct international relations impact.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Mammography facilities: Gain flexibility to adopt AI, reducing costs and workload.
• Healthcare providers (physicians/radiologists): May see shifts in responsibilities, with AI handling routine tasks.
• AI technology developers: Enabled to certify and deploy systems compliant with federal standards.
• Patients (primarily women undergoing mammograms): Potential for enhanced screening accuracy and speed.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Aligns MQSA—a law ensuring mammography quality and safety—with AI advancements; requires FDA to validate AI systems as equivalent to physicians for specific functions.
• Constitutional: None apparent; operates within Congress's authority over public health standards.
• Political: Represents a bipartisan push (introduced by Rep. Schweikert) for tech innovation in healthcare, potentially setting precedent for AI in medical diagnostics without overhauling existing frameworks.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-1]

Recent Actions

• 2026-04-27: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2026-04-27: Introduced in House
• 2026-04-27: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• To amend the Public Health Service Act to update quality standards for mammography facilities for the use of AI systems, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-04-27 — PDF (2 pages)