WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) bipartisan bill to advance childhood cancer research, prevention and access to treatment. Brown’s bill, the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2017 (Childhood Cancer STAR Act), is also sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and has been called “the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever taken up by Congress,” by Children’s Cause Cancer Advocacy. Brown is urging the President to move quickly in signing this legislation.
“This bill will expand the scope of childhood cancer research, so that we can better fight this disease” said Brown. “I urge the President to move swiftly on this legislation, so that we can get Ohio families the resources they need to prevent and treat childhood cancer.”
Brown’s bill would address childhood cancer by doing the following:
Improving Childhood Cancer Research
Improving Care for Childhood Cancer Survivors
Boosting Access to Treatment
Brown has been leading efforts to address children’s health issues. In January, Brown led efforts to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known in Ohio as “Healthy Start,” for six years, protecting the healthcare of more than 209,000 Ohio children, families and pregnant mothers.
Brown introduced bipartisan legislation in May to help newborns suffering from withdrawal recover in the best care setting and provide support for their families.
In April, Brown’s bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program for an additional five years and increase its authorization to $330 million per year passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
###