PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 14, 2025
Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge Act of 2025 or the SPEAK Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance with best practices for improving telehealth services for non-English speakers, including with respect to using interpreters, providing accessible instructions, and enabling multi-person video calls.
People & committees
Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] · R–TX
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Oct 14, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-14 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal would require the Department of Health and Human Services to issue or update guidance on remote health care for people with limited English proficiency. The guidance would cover interpreters during appointments, access to online patient accounts, and patient information in multiple languages. The bill directs the department to provide guidance on best practices.
2. Guidance on furnishing services via telehealth to individuals with limited English proficiency
(a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with 1 or more entities from each of the categories described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b), shall issue and disseminate, or update and revise as applicable, guidance for the entities described in such subsection on the following:
(1) Best practices on facilitating and integrating use of interpreters during a telemedicine appointment.
(3) Best practices on improving access to digital patient portals for individuals with limited English proficiency.
(5) Best practices for providing patient materials, communications, and instructions in multiple languages, including text message appointment reminders and prescription information.
Section 1 would name the bill the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge Act of 2025, or SPEAK Act of 2025.
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge Act of 2025 or the SPEAK Act of 2025.
Within one year after section 2 became law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would have to issue and distribute guidance, or update and revise existing guidance as applicable.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with 1 or more entities from each of the categories described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b), shall issue and disseminate, or update and revise as applicable, guidance for the entities described in such subsection
The guidance would be for seven groups, and the Secretary would have to consult at least one entity from each: health technology providers, health care providers, health insurers, language-service companies, interpreter or translator professional associations, health and language-service quality certification organizations, and patient and consumer advocates. The listed examples include electronic medical record and remote patient monitoring companies, telehealth vendors, physicians, hospitals, and advocates working with people with limited English proficiency.
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with 1 or more entities from each of the categories described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b), shall issue and disseminate, or update and revise as applicable, guidance for the entities described in such subsection
(b) Entities described For purposes of subsection (a), an entity described in this subsection is an entity in 1 or more of the following categories: (1) Health information technology service providers, including— (A) electronic medical record companies; (B) remote patient monitoring companies; and (C) telehealth or mobile health vendors and companies. (2) Health care providers, including— (A) physicians; and (B) hospitals. (3) Health insurers. (4) Language service companies. (5) Interpreter or translator professional associations. (6) Health and language services quality certification organizations. (7) Patient and consumer advocates, including such advocates that work with individuals with limited English proficiency.
The required guidance would cover using interpreters during remote medical appointments, including video platforms that let multiple people join a call so an interpreter can participate.
(1) Best practices on facilitating and integrating use of interpreters during a telemedicine appointment.
(4) Best practices on integrating the use of video platforms that enable multi-person video calls furnished via a telecommunications system for purposes of providing interpretation during a telemedicine appointment for an individual with limited English proficiency.
The required guidance would cover accessible instructions for reaching the communication systems used for remote care and improving access to digital patient portals—online patient accounts—for people with limited English proficiency. The bill ties the meaning of “telecommunications systems” to a provision of the Social Security Act.
(2) Best practices on providing accessible instructions on how to access telecommunications systems (as such term is used for purposes of section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) for individuals with limited English proficiency.
(3) Best practices on improving access to digital patient portals for individuals with limited English proficiency.
The required guidance would cover providing patient materials, communications, and instructions in multiple languages, including appointment reminders sent by text message and prescription information.
(5) Best practices for providing patient materials, communications, and instructions in multiple languages, including text message appointment reminders and prescription information.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 14, 2026, records that the bill was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 14, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-14T16:30:07Z. 2025-03-14: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2025-03-14: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-14. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential treatment, special exemption, or carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Guidance addressing language access for the intended patient population does not by itself constitute preferential treatment. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 14, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI