The purpose of this legislation, known as the Advanced Long-term Care Early Response Technology Act of 2026 or the ALERT Act of 2026, is to improve the monitoring and response to infectious diseases in nursing homes across the United States. It aims to enhance the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) by establishing real-time surveillance capabilities that can quickly detect and respond to public health threats. Key provisions of the law require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a five-year program to expand the NHSN.