Technical corrections only. The diff reflects the bill's procedural progression from being engrossed in the House (v3) to being received and referred in the Senate (v4), including updated attestation details. No substantive policy changes were made to the bill's text.
To reauthorize the Young Women’s Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009.
- Sponsor
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
- Committees
- Energy and Commerce Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jul 27, 2026
Bottom line
This bill extends and expands federal programs aimed at breast and cervical cancer prevention, early detection, and access to care, with a focus on reducing health disparities and increasing funding.
What it actually does
This bill reauthorizes the Young Women's Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 (EARLY Act) until fiscal year 2031. It also significantly amends the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) by expanding its objectives to include prevention, enhancing support activities like health care navigation, reducing disparities, and improving access to screening and diagnostic services. Furthermore, it reauthorizes appropriations for the NBCCEDP at $235,500,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and mandates a GAO study on the program.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that early detection and prevention are crucial for reducing cancer morbidity and mortality, especially among underserved populations. Reauthorizing and expanding these programs ensures continued access to life-saving screenings, diagnostic services, and support, thereby addressing health disparities and improving overall public health outcomes.
Opponents contend
Opponents might raise concerns about the increased cost of the reauthorization and expansion, particularly the significant annual appropriation. They could argue for greater fiscal restraint or question the efficiency of federal programs versus alternative, potentially more localized or private sector-led approaches to cancer prevention and detection.
The bill is short and relatively straightforward, allowing for a quick and thorough understanding of its provisions within a typical legislative review period.
Title I, Section 102
Reauthorization of the EARLY Act
This provision extends the authorization for the 'Young Women's Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009' (EARLY Act) by five years, from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2031. This ensures the continuation of federal programs focused on educating young women about breast health and the importance of early detection, maintaining a federal commitment to this specific public health initiative.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that continued funding for the EARLY Act is vital for educating young women about breast health, promoting early detection, and potentially saving lives by fostering awareness at a crucial age when habits and knowledge are being formed.
Critics contend
No specific opposition is typically raised against the reauthorization of established public health education programs, though general fiscal conservatives might question the overall federal spending without specific programmatic objections.
Tradeoffs
The primary tension is balancing the desire for continued public health education and awareness with overall budgetary constraints and competing federal priorities.
Title II, Section 202(a)(1)(A)
Expanded Objectives for National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
This section significantly broadens the objectives of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). It explicitly adds 'prevention' to the program's mandate, alongside detection and control. New objectives include enhancing support activities like health care navigation, implementing evidence-based screening strategies, facilitating access to health care settings, reducing disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, and improving overall access to screening and diagnostic services. This aims to create a more holistic approach to cancer care.
Title II, Section 202(a)(2)
Streamlined Grant Requirements for NBCCEDP
This provision streamlines the requirements for grants under the NBCCEDP by striking several specific conditions previously outlined in the Public Health Service Act, including detailed initial screening requirements. It replaces these with a more general requirement that appropriate breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services are provided consistent with relevant evidence-based recommendations. This change aims to provide states with greater flexibility in designing and implementing their programs.
Title II, Section 202(a)(3)
Revised Reporting Schedule for NBCCEDP
This section modifies the reporting frequency for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) from annually to every five years. It also updates the specific Congressional committees to which the report must be submitted, changing 'Labor and Human Resources' to 'Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.' The initial report after enactment will cover two fiscal years, followed by five-year reporting cycles.
Title II, Section 202(a)(4)
Reauthorization of Appropriations for NBCCEDP
This provision reauthorizes appropriations for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) at a specific amount of $235,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. This represents a significant increase from previous authorization levels, providing a stable and enhanced funding stream for the program's expanded objectives and ongoing operations over the next five fiscal years.
Title II, Section 202(b)
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Study on NBCCEDP
This section mandates the Comptroller General of the United States (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive study of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). The study, due by September 30, 2027, must include an estimate of eligible individuals, trends in individuals served, and an assessment of factors driving those trends, including barriers to accessing screening services. The report will be submitted to key Congressional committees.
This provision strikes subsection (d) from section 1501 and section 1503 of the Public Health Service Act, which previously contained specific requirements or authorities related to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Without the original text of these subsections, the precise impact of their removal is not immediately clear.
Section 202(a)(1)(B) and Section 202(a)(2)(B)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice for repealing specific provisions that are deemed redundant, outdated, or no longer necessary within the broader framework of the amended program. It is not necessarily evasive.
Case for: Proponents would argue that the removal of these subsections streamlines the program, eliminating outdated or overly prescriptive requirements that may have hindered state flexibility or efficiency. This aligns with the bill's broader aim to modernize the NBCCEDP.
Case against: Without explicit knowledge of the content of the stricken subsections, critics might express concern that important safeguards, specific programmatic elements, or accountability measures were removed. This could potentially weaken oversight or specific protections that were previously in place.
Estimated impact: The impact is likely administrative simplification or the removal of specific programmatic requirements, the full scope of which is unknown without the original text of the Public Health Service Act sections being amended.