Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
Latest action · Dec 23, 2021 Became Public Law No: 117-79.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 25, 2021
- Passed HouseDec 8, 2021
- Passed SenateDec 16, 2021
- To the PresidentDec 23, 2021
- Became lawDec 23, 2021Public Law 117-79
Summary
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities for scientific research utilizing data from expanded access to investigational ALS treatments for individuals who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.
HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.
The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.
The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress about the grants provided under this bill, including an analysis of the impact of such grants on research and development of treatments for ALS.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
Cosponsors 331
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 25, 2021 to Dec 2, 2021; 99 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-GA | A. Drew Ferguson IV | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| R-NE | Adrian Smith | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-NY | Adriano Espaillat | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-TX | Al Green | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-NJ | Andy Kim | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-AZ | Ann Kirkpatrick | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-NH | Ann M. Kuster | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-MA | Ayanna Pressley | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-IL | Bobby L. Rush | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| D-PA | Brendan F. Boyle | Original | May 25, 2021 |
| R-KY | Brett Guthrie | Original | May 25, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred May 25, 2021Markup Nov 17, 2021Reported Dec 8, 2021 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred May 26, 2021Markup Nov 4, 2021Reported Nov 4, 2021 |
Actions 22
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 23, 2021Presented to President.
- Dec 23, 2021Signed by President.
- Dec 23, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-79.
- Dec 17, 2021Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 16, 2021Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S9242)
In the Congressional Record 5
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9280, S9281 | Christopher A. Coons D-DE, Lisa Murkowski R-AK | Dec 17, 2021 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9242 | Christopher A. Coons D-DE | Dec 16, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7509–H7514Text printed H7509–H7511Recorded votes H7535enactLists H7536Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 3537, Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act | Anna G. Eshoo D-CA, Brett Guthrie R-KY, Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ, Janice D. Schakowsky D-IL, Jeff Fortenberry R-NE, John R. Curtis R-UT, Mike Quigley D-IL, Steve Scalise R-LA | Dec 8, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H6893 | Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Steve Scalise R-LA | Dec 2, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H5688 | Mike Quigley D-IL | Oct 20, 2021 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 91, May 25, 2021, page H2668.
CRS reports 12
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 12
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R49126 | Expiring Health Provisions: CY2026 and CY2027 | Report | Aug 11, 2026 |
| R48970 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2026 Appropriations | Report | May 28, 2026 |
| R43341 | National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding: FY1996-FY2026 | Report | May 18, 2026 |
| R48649 | Expiring Health Provisions of the 119th Congress | Report | Sep 24, 2025 |
| R44124 | Appropriations Report Language: Overview of Development and Components | Report | Mar 22, 2023 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1813 | Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act | Identical bill | May 25, 2021 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
- Drug therapy
- Government information and archives
- Health
- Health care coverage and access
- Health programs administration and funding
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Higher education
- Medical research
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Neurological disorders
- Prescription drugs
- Public-private cooperation
- Research administration and funding
- Research and development
- Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Dec 9, 2021Received in Senate
- Dec 8, 2021Engrossed in House
- Dec 8, 2021Reported in House
- May 25, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
