HR9851Referred to Committee

Protecting Access to Spiritual Treatment and Organized Religion Act of 2026

Share:
Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-07-22
Introduced
0
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Mike Flood
Mike Flood
Republican · NE · Representative
Votes with party: 97.9% (668 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/F000474

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (0)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.

2026-07-22

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

Protecting Access to Spiritual Treatment and Organized Religion Act of 2026 or the PASTOR Act of 2026 This bill requires, as a condition of Medicare participation, health care providers to allow a clergy member access to a patient upon the patient's designation and request.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Health

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 9851 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9851 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require providers of services to provide patients access to clergy. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 22, 2026 Mr. Flood introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require providers of services to provide patients access to clergy. 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 ``Protecting Access to Spiritual Treatment and Organized Religion Act of 2026'' or the ``PASTOR Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. REQUIRING PROVIDERS OF SERVICES TO PROVIDE PATIENTS ACCESS TO CLERGY. Section 1866(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc(a)(1)) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (X), by striking ``and'' at the end; (2) in subparagraph (Y), by striking the period and inserting ``, and''; and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (Y) the following new subparagraph: ``(Z) beginning January 1, 2028, upon request of an individual receiving items and services from such provider and notwithstanding any waiver under section 1135, to allow a member of clergy designated by such individual access to such individual, provided that such clergy member adheres to such safety measures and other protocols as may be specified by the Secretary (in consultation with providers of services, States, and religious organizations).''. <all>
Open clean-text viewRead on Congress.gov →

Related legislation

Bills by the same sponsor or covering overlapping subjects.