Current Legislation

Women At Risk

The following is a list of recently passed or currently pending legislation related to breast cancer and other women's health issues.

Passed

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-233, 122 Stat. 881)
GINA is a new federal law that prohibits discrimination in health coverage and employment based on genetic information. It was signed into law on May 21, 2008 and will go into effect between May 2009 and May 2010. For more information on this law, see:

$150 million for the Department of Defense (DOD) Breast Cancer Research Program FY 2009

Pending

Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act of 2009 (H.R. 1740)
This act, commonly referred to as the “EARLY Act” is being sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fl) and has recently been introduced in the senate. The act amends the Public Health Service Act to increase awareness of the risks of breast cancer in young women and provide support for young women diagnosed with the disease. It will establish a national evidence-based education campaign to increase awareness among both the public and healthcare professionals about risk factors, prevention, and detection of breast cancer among young women. For more information, visit:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1740
Urge your senators to support the EARLY Act!
Early Detection Issues

21st Century Cancer ALERT (Access to Life-saving Early detection, Research and Treatment) Act
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), amends the Public Health Service Act to advance new technology in cancer research, increase funding for rare and more fatal cancers, and increase access to prevantitve cancer services. It also sets forth new provisions governing clinical trials and does much more to modernize the WAR on cancer. For more information, visit: