HELP STATES Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10626 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10626

  To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase the State 
   share of the recovery of certain overpayments under the Medicaid 
                                program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2026

   Mr. Kean (for himself, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Wittman, Mr. 
 Valadao, Mrs. Kim, and Mr. Bresnahan) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase the State 
   share of the recovery of certain overpayments under the Medicaid 
                                program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Encourage Lawful Payments 
and Strengthen Transparency, Anti-fraud, Tips, and Enforcement 
Strategies Act'' or the ``HELP STATES Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASING STATE SHARE OF OVERPAYMENT RECOVERY.

    Section 1903(d)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b(d)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
    ``(C)(i) For quarters beginning on or after the date that is 18 
months after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, in the case 
that a State recovers during such quarter any amounts which represent 
an overpayment made to a person or other entity due to fraud, the 
Secretary shall exclude up to 25 percent (as elected by the State) of 
the pro rata share of such amounts so recovered to which the United 
States is equitably entitled, as determined for purposes of 
subparagraph (A), from the amount of overpayment to be adjusted under 
this subsection.
    ``(ii) With respect to any amounts so excluded from the amount of 
overpayment to be adjusted under this subsection pursuant to clause 
(i), a State--
            ``(I) shall use such amounts for activities related to 
        program integrity, which may include audits, investigations, 
        data analysis, investment in information technology systems 
        that improve the detection, prevention, or recovery of improper 
        payments, and other activities associated with the detection of 
        fraud and the recovery of improper payments; and
            ``(II) not less frequently than annually, shall report to 
        the Secretary (in a form and manner specified by the Secretary) 
        how the State used such amounts.''.
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