I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2730 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle Easterners and 
North Africans in the statutory definition of a ‘‘racial and ethnic minority 
group’’, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 19, 2023 
Ms. TLAIB (for herself, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. ESHOO, and Ms. KELLY of Illi-
nois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle 
Easterners and North Africans in the statutory definition 
of a ‘‘racial and ethnic minority group’’, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Equity and 
Middle Eastern and North African Community Inclusion 
Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘Health Equity and MENA Commu-
nity Inclusion Act of 2023’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the terms ‘‘Middle Eastern and North 
African’’ or ‘‘MENA’’, with respect to individuals or popu-
lations, includes individuals and populations who identify 
with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating 
in a country (or portion thereof) in the Middle Eastern 
and North African region (such as Lebanese, Iranians, 
Egyptians, Moroccans, Yemenis, Chaldeans, Imazighen, 
Kurds, Palestinians, and Yazidis). 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Through the establishment of the Office of 
Minority Health (OMH) in 1986, the Department of 
Health and Human Services has developed health 
policies and programs that eliminate health dispari-
ties and improve the health of racial and ethnic mi-
nority populations. 
(2) Congress has funded the OMH to develop 
and implement health care service programs that ad-
dress physical activity and nutrition, clinical condi-
tions, individual social needs, and the social deter-
minants of health for ‘‘racial and ethnic minority 
groups’’. 
(3) Before the amendments made by this Act, 
section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1))— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(A) defined the term ‘‘racial and ethnic mi-
nority group’’ (for whom the OMH works to 
improve health outcomes and eliminate health 
disparities) to exclude Middle Easterners and 
North Africans; and 
(B) thereby prevented MENA populations 
from accessing critical resources intended to as-
sist historically marginalized communities. 
(4) Independent researchers and private sector 
research initiatives have found significant health dis-
parities between MENA individuals and the non- 
Hispanic White population, as well as significant 
overlap between the health outcomes and health con-
ditions of MENA individuals and those of other ra-
cial and ethnic minority groups. 
(5) Poor health outcomes are often connected to 
impoverishment in other aspects of life and are exac-
erbated by additional barriers to access high-quality 
health coverage, whether in terms of language, eligi-
bility, health literacy, or discrimination at the point- 
of-service. 
(6) A recent study published in Proceedings of 
the National Academy of Sciences suggested that 
MENA individuals are not perceived as White and 
do not perceive themselves as White. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(7) Research on the health outcomes and health 
conditions of MENA individuals is troubling and 
suggests that efforts must be made on the Federal 
level to disaggregate the demographic data of 
MENA individuals from the demographic data of in-
dividuals in the non-Hispanic White category and 
fully understand the social determinants of health 
for health disparities and outcomes experienced by 
MENA individuals. 
(8) Under the current Federal standards for 
data on race and ethnicity, demographic data on 
MENA individuals is aggregated into the same cat-
egory as demographic data on individuals of Euro-
pean ancestry, which limits the ability of the Federal 
Government to understand the factors that con-
tribute to health outcomes for MENA individuals. 
(9) The Federal standards for data on race and 
ethnicity effectively obscure the reality of minority 
health and health disparities by aggregating demo-
graphic health data on MENA individuals with that 
Europeans. 
(10) MENA individuals are not included among 
the groups for whom the OMH works to improve 
health outcomes and eliminate health disparities, 
which further limits the opportunity of MENA indi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
viduals to access programs designed to address their 
experiences and health conditions. 
(11) The OMH could better assess and elimi-
nate health disparities by conducting a comprehen-
sive study of the health of MENA individuals and 
recognizing MENA individuals as a racial and ethnic 
minority group. 
SEC. 4. INCLUSION OF MIDDLE EASTERNERS AND NORTH 
AFRICANS IN DEFINITION OF RACIAL AND 
ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1707(g)(1) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘and Hispanics’’ and inserting ‘‘Hispanics, 
and Middle Easterners and North Africans’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that subsection (a) should be implemented so as to 
ensure that— 
(1) the definition of a ‘‘racial and ethnic minor-
ity group’’ in section 1707(g)(1) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)), as 
amended by subsection (a), is applied in the imple-
mentation and execution of Federal programs and 
activities that reference such definition; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(2) no racial and ethnic minority group served 
by such programs and activities is negatively im-
pacted by subsection (a). 
(c) UNDEFINED REFERENCES.—Not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall— 
(1) identify all regulations, guidance, orders, 
and documents of the Department of Health and 
Human Services for establishment or implementa-
tion of a health care or public health program, activ-
ity, or survey that— 
(A) use the term ‘‘racial and ethnic minor-
ity group’’ or similar terminology; but 
(B) do not define such term or termi-
nology; and 
(2) take such actions as may be necessary to 
clarify whether the definition of ‘‘racial and ethnic 
minority group’’ in section 1707(g)(1) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)), as 
amended by subsection (a), applies to such term or 
terminology. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall submit a report to the 
Congress on the implementation of this section. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 5. REPORT ON THE HEALTH OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN 
AND NORTH AFRICAN POPULATION. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall conduct or support a comprehensive study 
regarding the unique health patterns and outcomes of 
MENA populations. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDY.—The comprehen-
sive study under subsection (a) shall include an enumera-
tion of MENA populations across the United States, 
disaggregated by subpopulation, and with respect to each 
such population and subpopulation— 
(1) the rates of— 
(A) obesity, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, 
stroke, asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, HIV/ 
AIDS, HPV, high cholesterol, high blood pres-
sure, chronic heart, lung, and kidney disease; 
(B) morbidity and mortality, including the 
rates of morbidity and mortality associated with 
the health conditions listed in subparagraph 
(A); 
(C) mental health and substance use dis-
orders; and 
(D) domestic violence, dating violence, sex-
ual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking; 
(2) analysis of— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(A) the rates described in paragraph (1); 
(B) the leading causes of pregnancy-associ-
ated morbidity and mortality; and 
(C) access to health care facilities and the 
associated outcomes of care; 
(3) analysis, enumeration, or quantification of 
any other health or health-related parameters the 
Secretary may deem necessary; and 
(4) analysis of the relationship between the 
health factors, outcomes, and conditions described in 
paragraphs (1) through (3) and the implementation 
of Federal health programs. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) carry out this section in consultation, as ap-
propriate, with the Director of the Census Bureau, 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, and other stakeholders (includ-
ing community-based organizations); and 
(2) determine through such consultation the 
subpopulations 
to 
be 
used 
for 
purposes 
of 
disaggregation of data pursuant to subsection (b). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(d) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall conclude the 
comprehensive study under this section not later than two 
years after the enactment of this Act. 
(e) ONLINE PORTAL.—Upon conclusion of the com-
prehensive study under this section, the Secretary shall 
establish a public online portal to catalogue the results of 
the study, its underlying data, and information in the re-
port submitted pursuant to subsection (f). 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the con-
clusion of the comprehensive study under this section, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing— 
(1) the results of the study; and 
(2) the rulemakings and other actions the agen-
cies described in subsection (c)(1) can undertake to 
more equitably include MENA individuals in their 
programs. 
(g) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall not include any 
personally identifiable information on the online portal 
under subsection (e) or in the report under subsection (f). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:02 Apr 26, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2730.IH
H2730
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB