HR 4417
Mobile Cancer Screening Act
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
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Bill overview
This bill, the Mobile Cancer Screening Act, aims to expand access to cancer screenings in rural and underserved communities by providing grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to eligible entities. These funds can be used to purchase mobile screening units, imaging technology, and related equipment. The goal is to increase cancer screening rates, particularly for lung cancer, and improve early detection and patient outcomes.
Key provisions
- Grants are awarded to nonprofits, Federally qualified health centers, academic health centers, health systems, and consortiums.
- Funding can be used for purchasing mobile screening units, imaging technology, and digital tools.
- Grants cannot exceed $2,000,000.
- Prioritization is given to applicants with the highest potential impact on patient mortality and screening gaps.
- Applications serving rural areas and Indian Health Service areas are prioritized.
- Applicants must provide comprehensive follow-up care within 90 minutes.
- Eligible entities must contribute matching funds (1:3 ratio).
- The Secretary will submit a report to Congress detailing program effectiveness and recommendations.
Who is affected
- Rural communities
- Underserved communities
- Cancer patients
- Healthcare providers
- Nonprofit organizations
Notable changes
- Establishes a grant program specifically for mobile cancer screening units.
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. 4417
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for supporting new mobile cancer screening units to expand patient access to essential screening services in rural and underserved communities, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Mobile Cancer Screening Act
.
Congress finds the following:
Each year, 2,000,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, with 127,070 deaths in 2023 alone. Despite its prevalence, only 4.5 percent of eligible individuals were screened for lung cancer in 2022.
Mobile cancer screening units have proven effective in increasing access to essential screenings, including for breast cancer and more recently lung cancer.
Part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities for the purpose of supporting new mobile cancer screening units to expand patient access to essential screening services in rural and underserved areas.
Entities eligible for an award under subsection (a) include—
a nonprofit hospital;
a Federally qualified health center;
an academic health center;
a health system; and
a consortium or other collaboration of two or more entities listed in any of paragraphs (1) through (4).
For the purpose described in subsection (a), funds awarded under this section may be used for—
purchasing a commercial vehicle to operate a mobile cancer screening unit;
acquiring imaging technology;
purchasing digital tools needed to operate a mobile cancer screening unit; and
covering other costs determined by the Secretary to be essential startup or operational costs.
The amount of an award under subsection (a) may not exceed $2,000,000.
In making awards under subsection (a), the Secretary shall prioritize—
applicants with the highest potential impact on patient mortality and screening gaps for high-risk individuals;
applicants serving underserved populations, including—
rural areas; and
areas served by the Indian Health Service; and
applicants able to provide comprehensive follow-up care for abnormal findings within 90 minutes of the unit by ground transportation.
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
The report required by paragraph (1) shall include—
the total number of patients screened using mobile cancer screening units funded through awards under this section, with data on such total number of patients de-identified and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, disability status, and other relevant factors;
the impact of awards under subsection (a) on increasing screening rates, early cancer detection, and improved patient outcomes;
recommendations for improving the program under this section; and
such other information and recommendations as the Secretary determines to be relevant.
To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.