May 22, 2025
Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Cortez Masto, and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and improve the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services for Cancer Act of 2025
or the SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
In 2025, there will be more than 319,750 new cases of invasive breast cancer and nearly 43,000 breast cancer deaths in the United States.
(2)
In 2025, there will be about 13,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer and about 4,320 deaths from cervical cancer.
(3)
Since its creation in 1991, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (referred to in this section as the NBCCEDP
) has provided lifesaving cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, 6 territories, and 13 Tribes or Tribal organizations.
(4)
NBCCEDP places special emphasis on outreach to women who are geographically or culturally isolated.
(5)
NBCCEDP has served more than 6,400,000 people and provided more than 16,500,000 breast and cervical cancer screening examinations.
(6)
These screening exams have diagnosed nearly 80,000 invasive breast cancers and more than 25,000 premalignant breast lesions, as well as almost 5,300 invasive cervical cancers and over 248,000 premalignant cervical lesions, of which 38 percent were high-grade.
(7)
The program also provides public education, outreach, patient navigation, and care coordination to increase breast and cervical cancer screening rates.
(8)
Reauthorizing NBCCEDP will result in expanded services, leading to more people being screened and more cancers diagnosed at earlier stages.
Sec. 3. National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Title XV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300k et seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 1501 (42 U.S.C. 300k)—
(A)
in subsection (a)—
(i)
in paragraph (2), by striking the provision of appropriate follow-up services and support services such as case management
and inserting that appropriate follow-up services are provided
;
(ii)
in paragraph (3), by striking programs for the detection and control
and inserting for the prevention, detection, and control
;
(iii)
in paragraph (4), by striking the detection and control
and inserting the prevention, detection, and control
;
(iv)
in paragraph (5)—
(I)
by striking monitor
and inserting ensure
; and
(II)
by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
(v)
by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (9);
(vi)
by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
(6)
to enhance appropriate support activities to increase breast and cervical cancer screening, such as navigation of health care services, implementation of evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies proven to increase breast and cervical cancer screening in health care settings, and facilitation of access to health care settings that provide breast and cervical cancer screenings;
(7)
to reduce disparities in incidents of and deaths due to breast and cervical cancer in populations with higher-than-average rates;
(8)
to improve equitable access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services and to reduce related barriers, including due to factors that relate to negative health outcomes; and; and
(vii)
in paragraph (9), as so redesignated, by striking through (5)
and inserting through (8)
; and
(B)
by striking subsection (d);
(2)
in section 1503 (42 U.S.C. 300m)—
(A)
in subsection (a)—
(i)
in paragraph (1), by striking that, initially
and all that follows through the semicolon and inserting that appropriate breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services are provided consistent with relevant evidence-based recommendations; and
;
(ii)
by striking paragraphs (2) and (4);
(iii)
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and
(iv)
in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking ; and
and inserting a period; and
(B)
by striking subsection (d);
(3)
in section 1508(b) (42 U.S.C. 300n–4(b))—
(A)
by striking 1 year after the date of the enactment of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization of 2007, and annually thereafter,
and inserting 2 years after the date of enactment of the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services for Cancer Act of 2025, and every 5 years thereafter,
;
(B)
by striking Labor and Human Resources
and inserting Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
; and
(C)
by striking preceding fiscal year
and inserting preceding 2 fiscal years in the case of the first report after the date of enactment of the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services for Cancer Act of 2025 and preceding 5 fiscal years for each report thereafter
; and
(4)
in section 1510(a) (42 U.S.C. 300n–5(a))—
(A)
by striking and
after 2011,
; and
(B)
by inserting , and $235,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030
before the period at the end.
Sec. 4. GAO study
Not later than September 30, 2027, the Comptroller General of the United States shall report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives on the work of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, including—
(1)
an estimate of the number of individuals eligible for services provided under such program;
(2)
a summary of trends in the number of individuals served through such program; and
(3)
an assessment of any factors that may be driving the trends identified under paragraph (2), including any barriers to accessing breast and cervical cancer screenings provided by such program.