HR 2178
Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2025
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Bill overview
This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and fund a research program focused on cerebral palsy. The program will investigate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods, as well as the public health impact and associated costs of the condition. It also aims to provide education and training for healthcare professionals and the public regarding cerebral palsy.
Key provisions
- Authorizes funding for a research program on cerebral palsy.
- Directs research into diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies.
- Requires public health surveillance related to cerebral palsy.
- Mandates evaluation of research activities to assess effectiveness.
- Provides technical assistance to relevant organizations.
- Authorizes appropriations of $5 million per year from 2026 through 2031.
Who is affected
- Individuals with cerebral palsy and their families
- Healthcare professionals
- The general public
- Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy
- Researchers
Notable changes
- Establishes a dedicated research program for cerebral palsy within the Public Health Service Act.
- Recognizes the significant prevalence and impact of cerebral palsy.
- Addresses the lack of consensus on best practices for managing the condition.
Fiscal impact
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 2178
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program of research related to cerebral palsy, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2025
.
Congress finds the following:
In the United States, more than 10,000 babies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year.
Cerebral palsy is a broad group of disorders disrupting a person’s ability to move, sit, stand, walk, talk, and use their hands.
In more than 80 percent of cases, the cause of cerebral palsy is unknown.
Seventy-five percent of individuals with cerebral palsy also have 1 or more additional developmental disabilities including epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, communication problems, learning and attention disorders, chronic pain, autism, hearing disorders, and visual impairments or blindness.
Children with cerebral palsy are more likely to die from the flu and related viruses, including COVID–19, than children without neurologic disorders.
There is no consensus of best practices for a person with cerebral palsy at the time of diagnosis or through the lifespan.
It is estimated that the lifetime care and medical costs for all people with cerebral palsy who were born in 2000 alone will total more than $13,500,000,000. The loss of productivity and lost wages of the individual with cerebral palsy and their family members is more than $35,000,000,000.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 317C of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–4) the following new section:
research on—
the most promising avenues of cerebral palsy diagnosis and treatment;
factors that may mitigate the prevalence of cerebral palsy; and
the health care and societal costs of cerebral palsy;
public health surveillance; and
The Secretary may (directly or through grants or contracts) provide technical assistance to public and nonprofit private entities in furtherance of research under this section.
The Secretary shall (directly or through grants or contracts) provide for the evaluation of activities under subsection (a) in order to determine the extent to which such activities have been effective, including evaluation of the effects of such activities on various demographic populations.
To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.