Katie Meyer’s Law

House Bill

H.R. 5545

119th Congress

Katie Meyer’s Law

In Committee

Introduced:Sep 23, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Grace Meng

Representative

Democratic

NY-6

Cosponsors

16

Quick Stats

Policy Area

International Affairs

Summary

This bill would require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to create a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities around the world. The goal is to ensure that healthcare workers and patients have clean water, handwashing stations, and proper waste management.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to create a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities around the world. The goal is to ensure that healthcare workers and patients have clean water, handwashing stations, and proper waste management.

Last updated: 12/29/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Global WASH in Healthcare Facilities Act of 2023This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement an action plan to increase global access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities. USAID shall develop and submit to Congress such an action plan to (1) increase access to safe water in healthcare facilities; (2) enable handwashing at all points of care; (3) provide for the safe segregation, treatment, and disposal of healthcare and human waste; and (4) promote WASH behavior change.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Directs USAID to develop an action plan to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities globally.
Aims to increase access to clean water, enable handwashing, and provide for safe disposal of medical and human waste.
Promotes behavior change to encourage better hygiene practices in healthcare settings.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If passed, this bill would affect healthcare workers and patients in developing countries by improving the water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in the facilities where they receive and provide care. This could lead to reduced spread of infections, better health outcomes, and an overall improvement in the quality of healthcare in these regions.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

International Affairs

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

5545, 119th Congress (2025). "Katie Meyer’s Law". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5545