Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Health Bills for Families!

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted unanimously this week to advance four bipartisan bills aimed at improving health care protections for American families.

The legislation was favorably reported out of committee under the leadership of Bill Cassidy, M.D., who serves as chairman of the HELP Committee.

“These are pro-family, pro-patient bills,” Cassidy said ahead of the vote.
“When the committee sets politics aside and works together, we can deliver real results for American families.”

The four measures approved by the committee include:

• S. 1157 – Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act, which seeks to improve early detection of lung cancer in women, who die from the disease at higher rates than men despite lower smoking rates.
• S. 921 – Tyler’s Law, aimed at improving detection of fentanyl exposure in health care settings by enhancing drug screening capabilities.
• S. 2169 – Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, designed to help rural hospitals strengthen cybersecurity defenses and protect patient data.
• S. 272 – Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, which establishes additional safety testing and oversight to help prevent future infant formula shortages.

Cassidy highlighted the urgency of addressing fentanyl-related deaths, noting that Tyler’s Law was inspired by a 19-year-old who died after fentanyl poisoning went undetected during an emergency room visit. Cassidy also pointed to recent bipartisan efforts, including the HALT Fentanyl Act and the SUPPORT Reauthorization Act, both signed into law, to combat opioid abuse.

On rural health care, Cassidy said cyberattacks pose a growing threat to hospitals and patient safety, particularly in underserved areas. He added that he is working on additional bipartisan legislation to strengthen the health care system’s resilience to cyber threats.

Cassidy also stressed the importance of preventing another infant formula crisis like the nationwide shortage in 2022. The Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act would expand testing requirements and increase oversight by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure safety and supply stability.

The bills now move forward in the legislative process for further consideration by the full Senate.