A bipartisan group of senators led by Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, introduced the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026, legislation that would create the first formal federal shortage designation for general surgeons and direct the Health Resources and Services Administration to map gaps in surgical care access nationwide.
According to a June 23 news release by The American College of Surgeons, who also backed the bill, the proposal would require HRSA to study and define general surgery workforce shortage areas and collect data on the adequacy of surgical services across the country. It would also authorize the HHS secretary to establish a formal general surgery shortage area designation — a tool that currently exists for primary care and other specialties but has never been applied to general surgery.
Proponents argue the absence of that designation has left policymakers without a standardized mechanism to identify underserved communities, recruit surgeons to those areas, or direct federal resources toward access gaps. The legislation is the Senate companion to House bill HR 7198, introduced earlier this year.
The ACS noted that while the bill has drawn attention in Hawaii, the access problems it targets span rural and underserved communities throughout the country. A formal shortage designation could support recruitment and retention efforts in communities where delays in surgical care carry direct consequences for patients.
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