Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) joined by Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) introduced bipartisan legislation to allow physicians full access to the most up-to-date medical research and training so they may deliver the best care.

The Sunshine Act of 2022, H.R. 9378, is in response to unintended consequences of over-burdensome reporting requirements in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), misinterpreted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), that made important educational materials for physicians difficult to obtain.

Currently, the ACA requires physicians to report any financial interactions with industry counterparts. In recent years, CMS has determined that both continuing medical education events, and the distribution of medical textbooks and peer-reviewed journals were subject to reporting, making them less accessible to physicians. This well-intentioned push for transparency has hindered the continued education of our nation’s health care providers.

The Sunshine Act of 2022 will minimize the negative impacts of this misinterpretation by making these important educational materials exempt from reporting requirements.

“Medicine is ever-evolving. I practiced medicine for nearly 30 years and can personally attest to the frequent lifesaving advancements the medical community makes every year,” said Burgess. “As physicians, we should be consistently learning about new treatments and procedures that could potentially save countless lives. When doctors don’t have access to the most up-to-date educational materials, patients suffer. This commonsense bill ensures the best care for American patients.” 

“As a doctor, I relied on up-to-date scientific medical information to provide the best possible care for my patients,” said Representative Ami Bera, who previously served as Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County. “But our nation’s physicians are currently restricted from accessing the latest medical resources because of misdirected reporting requirements. I’m proud to work with my fellow doctor Representative Burgess to introduce this commonsense fix to empower our nation’s doctors with timely resources to render the best care for their patients.”