House Subcommittee Marks Up 19 Health-Related Bills

WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee advanced 19 health care-related bills on Tuesday, setting the stage for a further markup by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and, with any luck, a vote on the House floor in coming weeks.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the House Subcommittee on Health, said the bills her panel marked up Tuesday “will strengthen the health and well-being of the American people,” and she noted that “almost all … have broad bipartisan support.”

As has been its custom, the subcommittee prioritized the consideration of programs set to expire and making changes, if necessary, to ensure they are reauthorized before they expire.

True to this practice, many of the bills on the committee’s agenda are currently due to expire Sept. 30.

“This committee has a rich history of plowing the hard ground necessary to legislate, including our bipartisan work to ensure we are moving forward timely reauthorizations, as well as new efforts — like the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act,” McMorris Rodgers said at the beginning of Tuesday’s session.

“I am hopeful we can renew them in advance of that deadline, through regular order,” she said, adding, “I look forward to seeing all of these important initiatives be signed into law.” 

The bills advanced by the subcommittee are as follows:

H.R. 619, NAPA Reauthorization Act (Sponsors Reps. Tonko, C. Smith and Waters) 

This legislation would reauthorize the National Alzheimer’s Project though 2035 and make certain modifications to the project, including updating its purpose and revising the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services by expanding the membership and its reporting requirements.  

H.R. 620, Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (Sponsors Reps. C. Smith, Tonko and Waters) 

This legislation would require the National Institutes of Health to continue to submit an annual budget estimate to Congress to achieve the initiatives and goals included in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease.  

H.R. 7218, Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. Guthrie, Tonko, C. Smith and Waters) 

This legislation would reauthorize programs to support states, local public health departments and other entities in their efforts to educate, support early detection and diagnosis, reduce associated risks, support patients and caregivers, and promote public health knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, among other activities, at currently appropriated levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.  

H.R. 5012, SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023 (Sponsors Reps. Y. Kim and Castor) 

This legislation would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants for data collection and reporting related to stillbirths and require HHS to issue guidelines regarding proper training and processes for collection of data related to stillbirth, as well as disseminate educational materials. In addition, this legislation would require HHS to incorporate a perinatal pathology fellowship program or related program within an existing training program. This legislation would also require HHS to issue public educational guidelines and reports on the progress of the described programs.  

H.R. 4581, Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2023 (Sponsors Reps. Hinson and Adams)   

This legislation would clarify that evidence-based activities and research focused on reducing the incidence of stillbirth are permissible uses of the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant.   

H.R. 2706, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act (Sponsors Reps. Cammack and Dingell) 

This legislation would prohibit health care providers and other entities from denying or restricting an individual’s access to organ transplants solely on the basis of the individual’s disability, except in limited circumstances. 

H.R. 4646, SIREN Reauthorization Act (Sponsors Reps. D. Joyce and Dingell) 

This legislation would reauthorize and modify the rural emergency medical services training and equipment assistance program through 2029.  

H.R. 6160, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program (Sponsors Reps. Molinaro and Cárdenas) 

This legislation would reauthorize the lifespan respite care program for five years.  

H.R. 6960, Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. Carter and Castor) 

This legislation would reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children program for five years.  

H.R. 7153, Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (Sponsors Reps. Wild and Kiggans)  

This legislation would reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which directs the secretary of HHS to allocate resources to health care entities for programs that promote the utilization of mental health and substance use disorder services among health care professionals. 

H.R. 7251, Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. Chavez-DeRemer, Joyce, Davis and Cherfilus-McCormick) 

This legislation would reauthorize certain poison control programs. These programs include the maintenance of the national toll-free phone number, the promotion of poison control center utilization, and the maintenance of a program that awards grants to accredited poison control centers.  

H.R. 7224, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program (Sponsors Reps. Cohen, Wagner, Cárdenas and Carter) 

This legislation would reauthorize the Stop, Observe, and Respond to Health and Wellness training program for five years.  

H.R. 7208, Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. Pascrell and Bacon) 

This legislation would reauthorize certain programs with respect to traumatic brain injuries. The programs reauthorized in this legislation allocate resources for TBI prevention, improving access to TBI rehabilitation and TBI patient advocacy systems.  

H.R. 6829, Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research, and Training in the Schools Act of 2023 (Sponsors Reps. Pallone and A. Kim) 

This legislation would direct HHS to develop and distribute certain educational materials and resources regarding cardiomyopathy, automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to school administrators, educators, school health professionals, coaches, families, guardians, caregivers, state and local health departments, certain health professionals and other relevant individuals.

In addition, this legislation would require the secretary of HHS to submit reports to Congress on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national cardiomyopathy surveillance and research activities, as well as develop a risk assessment for individuals at risk of cardiomyopathy. This legislation would also allow the NIH director to expand and coordinate research with respect to cardiomyopathy and require a report on NIH’s ongoing research efforts. 

H.R. 7189, Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. Bilirakis, Soto, Carter, Schiff, Salazar and Cárdenas) 

This legislation would reauthorize a national congenital heart disease research, surveillance and awareness program through fiscal year 2029.  

H.R. 7406, DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024 (Sponsors Reps. McMorris Rodgers, DeGette, Cole and Holmes Norton) 

This legislation would authorize the INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project at the NIH, which is currently funded to promote the scientific understanding of Down syndrome and co-occurring conditions and improve the quality of life of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. The legislation would also require reporting to Congress on the program’s progress and related research.  

H.R. 3916, SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2023 (Sponsors Reps. Morelle and Fitzpatrick)   

This legislation would reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program through fiscal year 2028 and make certain modifications and updates to the program and reporting requirements.  

H.R. 5074, Kidney PATIENT Act (Sponsors Reps. Carter and Kuster) 

This legislation would delay implementation of the inclusion of oral-only end stage renal disease drugs in the Medicare ESRD Prospective Payment System.  

H.R. 5526, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2023 (Sponsors Reps. Harshbarger, Wasserman Schultz and Davis) 

This legislation would make permanent a waiver issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, allowing Medicare patients to receive medications by mail, and allowing family members or caregivers to obtain medications on a patient’s behalf. 

“I am especially excited that we are considering my legislation to authorize the INCLUDE Project at the National Institutes of Health, which signals to appropriators that it should continue and receive robust support,” McMorris Rodgers said.

“My mission of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities is no secret and is deeply personal,” she continued.

“At the time INCLUDE was established, Down syndrome was among one of the least studied and funded genetic conditions at the NIH, despite it being one of the most common chromosome abnormalities,” she said.

“Now, INCLUDE has funded over 200 awards and helps to coordinate Down syndrome research and resources across 20 NIH institutes and centers. 

“One of the most incredible things about the INCLUDE Project is its potential, not just to benefit those individuals with Down syndrome, but for all patients that suffer from cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other conditions that occur often in those with Down syndrome,” she added. 

Her bill, as drafted, would provide $250 million annually for the next five years.

McMorris Rodgers also made particular note of Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., whose bipartisan Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act had, she said, been cosponsored by a number of members from both sides of the aisle on the committee. 

“I know that there is more work to be done regarding technical assistance and offsetting any costs associated with the bill, but I am hopeful that we will be able to resolve those issues before consideration by the full committee,” she said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue