Marcus's Law requires high school students in grades 9 through 12 to undergo an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram before participating in their first athletic contest starting in the 2026-2027 school year. This mandate applies to schools receiving federal education funds and includes provisions for partnerships to keep the cost of these screenings at $20 or less per student. The bill allows for waivers if schools cannot secure these partnerships despite making sufficient attempts and provides exemptions for students with religious objections or valid medical reasons.
This bill, known as the Critical Access Hospital RIP Act of 2026, aims to protect rural hospitals from losing their special status due to new road construction. It directly affects facilities designated as critical access hospitals that might otherwise fail to meet population requirements because a nearby highway or bridge was recently built or improved. The law mandates that if a facility qualifies for designation but fails the population test solely because of a completed roadway project, it will still be considered to meet the requirement. By ignoring the impact of these specific transportation upgrades, the legislation ensures these hospitals can continue operating without being forced to close due to infrastructure changes.
This resolution expresses the Senate's support for designating July 2026 as National Sarcoma Awareness Month. It aims to raise public awareness about sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting bones and connective tissues, and to encourage people to seek proper diagnosis and treatment. The bill highlights that sarcoma is often misdiagnosed and affects hundreds of thousands of individuals in the United States. By officially recognizing this month, the Senate intends to focus attention on the disease and its various subtypes.
The Sergeant Dave Crete FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2026 establishes a process to identify military veterans who served at specific locations in Nevada and other facilities known for toxic exposure. This legislation creates a registry to collect health data from these veterans and mandates a study to analyze the link between their service and potential illnesses like cancer. By amending existing laws, the bill presumes that veterans who served in these areas were exposed to toxic substances, which simplifies the process for them to receive medical benefits and compensation. Additionally, the act requires the Department of Defense to classify these sites as contaminated and share service records with the Department of Veterans Affairs to support claims.
This bill, the Enhancing CLIA Act of 2026, updates federal regulations to strictly govern laboratory-developed tests used for diagnosing or treating patients. Starting two years after enactment, laboratories must prove these tests are accurate and reliable by providing documented evidence of their performance and clinical validity before they can be used. The law creates a centralized online database where labs must report details about their tests and establishes a system for third parties, including the FDA, to review and affirm that tests meet safety standards. Additionally, the bill requires labs to immediately report any test errors that cause serious harm or death and mandates regular public forums and periodic reviews to ensure regulations keep pace with scientific advancements.
This bill, known as the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act, allows patients with life-threatening diseases or severe illnesses to access certain experimental drugs tailored to their specific genetic makeup without going through the standard FDA approval process. To qualify, a patient must have exhausted approved treatment options and receive a written recommendation from a doctor who is not paid by the drug manufacturer. The law permits manufacturers and eligible healthcare facilities to offer these personalized treatments if the patient provides informed consent and the facility operates under existing federal safety regulations. Importantly, the bill does not require manufacturers to provide these treatments, leaving the decision to share them entirely up to the companies involved.
This bill allows veterans diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or similar movement disorders to access boxing-based exercise classes as part of their medical treatment. Under the new provisions, eligible veterans enrolled in the VA health care system can receive these classes directly at a VA facility or get reimbursement to attend them at a non-VA location. The policy change takes effect 180 days after the bill is enacted, providing a specific therapeutic option for managing the symptoms of these neurological conditions.
This resolution formally recognizes Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) as a serious eating disorder that causes significant health and developmental problems without involving body image issues. It highlights the need for better public and medical awareness to ensure early detection, particularly in children, and calls for increased research into the disorder's genetic and biological causes. The bill urges federal and local agencies to improve screening practices in healthcare and schools, while also advocating for expanded access to multidisciplinary treatments like nutrition and behavioral therapy.
This resolution expresses support for World Sickle Cell Awareness Day to raise public awareness about sickle cell disease and the ongoing need for research, early screening, and effective treatments. It highlights the importance of equitable access to new therapies, such as gene editing and stem cell transplants, and calls on federal agencies to remove barriers preventing vulnerable patients from receiving these innovative cures. The bill also urges the creation of an interagency group to coordinate policies that address healthcare disparities and improve outcomes for individuals affected by sickle cell disease globally.
The VA Emergency Transportation Act expands the types of care the Department of Veterans Affairs can reimburse for veterans by formally including emergency transportation alongside emergency treatment. Specifically, the bill allows the VA to pay for ambulance or air ambulance rides provided by non-VA providers that transport a veteran to a facility for emergency care or from a non-VA facility to a VA or other federal facility. This change updates existing laws to ensure that transportation costs are covered when they are part of the necessary emergency services furnished to a veteran.
