Rep. Schrier and Rep. Joyce Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Vaccines for Children Program
This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 20, 2026. The committee must review the bill before it can move forward, but no further action has occurred since that date. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, so it is unclear if this proposal will advance.
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a clear public health need, but it requires new federal spending which often leads to long debates in Congress.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 10096 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 10096 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Independent pediatric practices and small medical clinics that give vaccines would receive higher reimbursement rates matching Medicare levels. Many small practices have struggled financially under low Medicaid payment rates, so this increase helps cover the real cost of administering vaccines and providing counseling to families.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Kim Schrier, a pediatrician, used a subcommittee hearing to promote the Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2026. The legislation aims to reduce barriers to routine vaccinations by expanding the VFC program and providing better compensation for doctor-led vaccine counseling.
The Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2026 has emerged as a key bipartisan effort to protect childhood immunization. The bill expands VFC to CHIP enrollees and offers states a 1% funding boost for running vaccine education campaigns explaining the benefits of shots.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2026
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