A groundbreaking bill that creates opportunities for new breakthroughs in researching and treating childhood cancer passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The STAR Act, which already passed the U.S. Senate earlier this year, now heads to the President for his signature.
The STAR Act will:
Childhood cancer advocates and ACS CAN volunteers worked tirelessly to promote the STAR Act, recruiting 370 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 55 cosponsors in the Senate.
In April, childhood cancer survivors and their families from across the nation traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with their lawmakers and advocate for passage of the bill.
ACS CAN President Chris Hansen said, “Federally-funded cancer research is the engine behind ongoing progress in the fight against cancer, including pediatric cancer. There is no doubt the STAR Act will greatly assist and propel cutting edge research efforts moving forward.”
Childhood cancer patients and survivors face grueling medical treatments and a lifetime of doctor’s visits and chronic health conditions.
The STAR Act will help address these issues by researching better and more effective treatment for children battling cancer.
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.