The 2017 Louisiana Legislative Session ended on June 16, 2017 after two extraordinary sessions accompanied the 2017 Regular Session. A total of 1,770 Bills were introduced during all three sessions and of that number 1,053 Bills were completed. The state’s budget shortfall was at the forefront for this year’s session.
With the budget taking center stage, concerns were raised about various state programs that help to prevent and reduce the cancer burden for Louisianans. Both the Louisiana Breast and Cervical Health Program and the Louisiana Tumor Registry were up for potential cuts in the upcoming fiscal year.
ACS CAN met with 86 state lawmakers and had over 70 volunteers attend LA Day at the Capitol event on May 25, 2017. Thanks in part to that work, both of the above programs escaped any budget cuts.
In order to be successful in the fight against cancer, new public policies that promote prevention and early detection are a must. The ACS CAN Louisiana team will continue to discuss opportunities with lawmakers to reduce the cancer burden of all Louisianans.
Thank you so much for all that you do!
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.