Update: What We’re Watching, Aug. 21, 2026

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Update: What We're Watching, Aug. 21, 2026

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing is a product series providing regular updates on federal health policy discussions. Sign up here to receive these summaries and more, and also follow KHI on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Federal officials announced changes to the childhood vaccine recommendations and sought nominations for the National Vaccine Advisory Committee following revisions to its charter. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced funding to expand community health centers and proposed changes to federal oversight of food ingredients.

Here is some of the health-related news we are watching that could have an impact on Kansas.

The views expressed in the following news stories, news releases or documents are not necessarily those of the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). They are being shared with the intent of keeping Kansans informed of the latest developments related to federal health policy.

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Updates

1. HHS Awards New and Existing Health Centers $102 Million to Expand Access to Primary Care

On Aug. 13, HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced $102 million in awards for new and existing health centers to establish 415 new health center sites, expanding access to primary care for nearly 1 million people nationwide. The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas was among the award recipients.

Read the press release from HHS: HHS Announces Historic Investment to Expand Health Center Program, Bringing Primary Care to Nearly 1 Million More Americans

Read more from HRSA: FY 2026 New Access Points (NAP) Awards

2. National Vaccine Advisory Committee

On Aug. 12, a notice in the Federal Register was published soliciting nominations for membership on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC). The notice said membership will "include a selection of public members who are engaged in gold standard science, vaccine safety or efficacy research, or who are physicians, scientists, members of parent organizations concerned with immunizations, representatives of state or local health agencies or public health organizations."

A new charter was filed on July 7, 2026. The new charter describes the objectives and scope of activities to include non-vaccine approaches to preventing infectious disease for those who cannot or choose not to be vaccinated due to medical contraindications or strongly held personal, conscientious or religious beliefs.

Read more from the Federal Register: Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee

Read more from NVAC: NVAC Charter

Read more from CIDRAP: After Revising Charter, HHS Seeks Nominees for its National Advisory Committee

3. Vaccine Executive Order on Childhood Recommendations

On Aug. 10, President Trump signed an executive order, similar to the one he signed in December 2025, establishing new childhood vaccine recommendations. The executive order reduces the number of immunizations recommended for all children from 18 to 11 and places other vaccines into a category for high-risk populations and a category for shared clinical decision-making. The order also recommends administering the currently combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as three separate vaccines when those products are available separately in the United States.

The order advises states to review the new recommendations and consider changes to the laws and regulations governing vaccine requirements, including requirements for school enrollment. The order does not change vaccine requirements, which are established by states. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) continues to follow immunization guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Read the executive order from the White House: Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans

Read more from the White House: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Delivers Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans

Read more from the Kansas Reflector: Kansas sticks with 'scientific evidence' for vaccine schedule, despite Trump order

Read more from KMBC News: Trump changes childhood vaccine recommendations as Kansas City doctor raises concerns

Read more from CNN Health: Record share of kindergartners missed required vaccines last year as Trump executive order takes aim at state mandates

4. Secretary Kennedy Announces Food Policy Reforms

On Aug. 10, HHS announced two actions related to federal oversight of food ingredients and nutrition policy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule that would require food manufacturers to notify the FDA when the manufacturers determine that a substance added to human or animal food is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Manufacturers can currently make that determination without notifying the FDA. The proposed rule would also establish a process for manufacturers to provide the FDA with information for GRAS ingredients from products already on the market.

Read the press release from HHS: Secretary Kennedy Announces Landmark Food Policy Reforms to Advance President Trump's MAHA Agenda

Read more from HHS: What They Are Saying: Secretary Kennedy Announces Landmark Food Policy Reforms to Advance President Trump's MAHA Agenda

Read more from the Federal Register: Substances Generally Recognized as Safe

News From the Kansas Delegation

Members of the Kansas congressional delegation have been active in recent weeks on a range of health care and related policy matters.

1. On Aug. 13, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) hosted a rural health care roundtable in Garnett with representatives from rural hospitals, community health clinics and other organizations to discuss the impact of federal Medicaid changes on rural Kansas communities. Davids also highlighted the bipartisan Rural Hospital Revitalization Act, a bill she cosponsored that would provide low-interest loans for rural hospitals to finance construction and renovation projects. Reps. Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Derek Schmidt (R-KS) are also cosponsors of H.R. 9005, and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) is a cosponsor of the Senate version of the bill, S. 4141.

Read more from Rep. Davids' office: Davids Hosts Rural Healthcare Roundtable, Highlights Impact of Medicaid Cuts on Kansas Communities

Read the bill here: Rural Hospital Revitalization Act

2. On Aug. 7, the U.S. Senate passed by voice vote the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE (Investigation of Co-Occurring Conditions Across the Lifespan to Understand Down Syndrome) Project Act, originally introduced by Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). The bill would authorize the INCLUDE Project at the National Institutes of Health and support continued federal investments in Down syndrome research.

Read more from Sen. Moran's office: Passed: Sen. Moran's Legislation to Authorize NIH Program for Down Syndrome Research

Read the bill language: S. 1838 - DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act

3. On July 21, U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt (R-KS) joined Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) to introduce the bipartisan ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) MATCH (Making Able a Tool to Combat Hardship) Act. The bill would establish a federal matching contribution for eligible low- and moderate-income individuals who contribute to ABLE savings accounts. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) is also a cosponsor. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) is cosponsor of a Senate version of the legislation, S. 4492.

Read more from Rep. Schmidt's office: Rep. Derek Schmidt Joins Bipartisan Effort to Expand ABLE Savings for Americans with Disabilities

Read the bill language: H.R. 9801: ABLE MATCH

Stay tuned for further updates on policy shifts that may affect health programs and services in Kansas. For related work on how federal policies could impact Kansans, please check out Hill to the Heartland.