Health Equity and MENA Community Inclusion Act of 2023
This bill amends federal health law to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations - such as Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, and Palestinian communities - as a recognized racial and ethnic minority group for the first time. It updates definitions in the Public Health Service Act to ensure MENA individuals can access health programs designed for marginalized communities, which they were previously excluded from due to being grouped with non-Hispanic White populations in federal data. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive health study of MENA communities, disaggregating data by subgroups to analyze specific health conditions, access barriers, and outcomes. Results will be published in a public online portal and reported to Congress within two years. This change directly affects MENA individuals by enabling targeted health initiatives and data collection previously unavailable to them.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Apr 19, 2023
Last action Apr 19, 2023
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 19, 2023
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
lower
Apr 19, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 12 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Rashida Tlaib
DDemocratic
Co
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
DDemocratic
Co
Anna G. Eshoo
DDemocratic
Co
Betty McCollum
DDemocratic
Co
Daniel T. Kildee
DDemocratic
Co
Debbie Dingell
DDemocratic
Co
Eleanor Holmes Norton
DDemocratic
Co
J. Luis Correa
DDemocratic
Co
Janice D. Schakowsky
DDemocratic
Co
Jesús G. "Chuy" García
DDemocratic
Co
Katie Porter
DDemocratic
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