HR7602-119

In Committee

State of Men’s Health Act

119th Congress Introduced Feb 20, 2026

Summary

What This Bill Does

The State of Men's Health Act responds to findings that men die earlier than women, have higher age-adjusted death rates, account for nearly 80 percent of suicides, face high prostate, lung, colorectal, testicular-cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, mental-health, and veteran-suicide risks, and impose large public and employer costs through premature death and disability. Within one year, GAO must study men's health in the United States and territories, identify disparities, review existing federal programs, recommend additional federal activities, assess coordination across agencies, identify offices that could combine or lead men's health work, review male engagement in health care, identify research-investment opportunities, and suggest ways to raise public awareness. HHS must establish an Office of Men's Health within 18 months, consider GAO's findings, coordinate HHS men's health programs, support awareness, education, and screening for colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, and mental health among men at increased risk, maintain a database of best practices and research opportunities, and report to Congress within two years. The office must use existing authorized funds and cannot draw from Office on Women's Health funding.

Who Benefits and How

Men at elevated health risk, veterans facing mental-health risks, men's health researchers, preventive-screening programs, public-health advocates, families affected by premature male mortality, and HHS policymakers benefit from a dedicated federal study, coordination office, screening emphasis, best-practice database, and congressional reporting.

Who Bears the Burden and How

GAO must complete the national men's health study within one year, HHS must stand up the Office of Men's Health within 18 months, and the new office must coordinate programs, maintain a best-practices database, and report to Congress. Federal health-program administrators must provide program and research information, congressional health committees must review reports, and existing HHS budget accounts must absorb the work because the bill authorizes no new funds.

Key Provisions

  • Requires GAO within one year to study men's health disparities, federal programs, coordination gaps, male health-care engagement, research opportunities, and public awareness needs.
  • Establishes an HHS Office of Men's Health within 18 months after enactment.
  • Directs the office to coordinate HHS programs and promote awareness, education, and screening for colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, and mental health.
  • Requires the office to maintain a database of men's health best practices, clinical guidelines, research, and funding opportunities.
  • Provides no new appropriations and bars use of funds authorized for the Office on Women's Health.

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Requires GAO to study U.S. men's health disparities within one year, directs HHS to establish an Office of Men's Health within 18 months, assigns that office coordination, awareness, screening, best-practice, and research-database functions, and bars the office from using funds authorized for the Office on Women's Health.

Key Policy Areas

Healthcare, Government Oversight, Public Health

Primary Purpose

Requires GAO to study U.S. men's health disparities within one year, directs HHS to establish an Office of Men's Health within 18 months, assigns that office coordination, awareness, screening, best-practice, and research-database functions, and bars the office from using funds authorized for the Office on Women's Health.

Policy Domains

Healthcare Government Oversight Public Health

Bill-wide scope

Identified Gains
  • Men at elevated health risk
  • Veterans facing mental-health risks
  • Mens health researchers
  • Preventive-screening programs
  • Public-health advocates
  • Families affected by premature male mortality
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Mens health researchers: , , ,
Public-health advocates: , , ,
Men at elevated health risk: , , ,
Preventive-screening programs: , , ,
Veterans facing mental-health risks: , , ,
Families affected by premature male mortality: , , ,
Identified Costs
  • Government Accountability Office
  • HHS
  • HHS Office of Mens Health
  • Federal health-program administrators
  • Congressional health committees
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
HHS: , , ,
HHS Office of Mens Health: , , ,
Congressional health committees: , , ,
Government Accountability Office: , , ,
Federal health-program administrators: , , ,

Legislative Progress

In Committee
Introduced Committee Passed
Feb 20, 2026

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced in House

Feb 20, 2026

Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Healthcare
11 mentions across 4 clauses
+11 positive

HHS Office of Mens Health, Men at elevated health risk, Mens health researchers

Government
6 mentions across 3 clauses
+1 positive -5 negative

Congressional health committees, Federal health-program administrators, Government Accountability Office

Congressional health committees faces effects in multiple directions

Veterans
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Veterans facing mental-health risks

4/5
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Healthcare Government Oversight Public Health
Actor Mappings
"GAO"
→ Government Accountability Office
"HHS"
→ Department of Health and Human Services
"primary_beneficiaries"
→ Men at elevated health risk, Veterans facing mental-health risks, Mens health researchers, Preventive-screening programs, Public-health advocates, Families affected by premature male mortality
"primary_burden_bearers"
→ Government Accountability Office, HHS, HHS Office of Mens Health, Federal health-program administrators, Congressional health committees

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology