Signed into Law: New Hope for Kids With Cancer
The most influential childhood cancer legislation in a decade was signed into law this week. This moment is a result of our community's relentless advocacy, and it means that more children will have a chance to beat cancer and live long, healthy lives.
Here we break down all the big pieces of the shutdown-ending funding package that benefit children with cancer.
Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act addresses some of the most pressing research needs of children and families with cancer, including extending vital research incentives, ensuring children with cancer continue to have access to the newest cures, and guaranteeing pediatric studies happen in a timely manner. The bill expands on multiple landmark rare disease laws to reflect the changing landscape of pediatric drug development.
It includes provisions of the Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act, which gives FDA the authority to penalize drug companies that do not fulfill their pediatric study requirements -- a long-standing priority of Children's Cancer Cause.
Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act
The Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act is legislation that simplifies the Medicaid out-of-state provider enrollment process by creating an alternative opt-in pathway for providers in good standing to enroll in multiple state Medicaid programs. This will remove red tape that prevents children with cancer from accessing the specialized care they need.
Cancer Research Funding through NIH, CDC, DoD
The funding package authorizes $48.7 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $7.3 billion to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as funding of $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-H).
These funding increases for NIH and NCI are remarkable, given that the White House called for slashing the NIH budget by a staggering 40 percent.
The Administration also proposed eliminating cancer prevention efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Congress rejected this proposal, and the funding package provides an increase for the CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.
We also celebrate the full funding of two existing childhood cancer initiatives, the Childhood Cancer STAR Act ($30 million) and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) ($50 million).
The STAR Act expands opportunities for childhood cancer research, improves efforts to identify and track incidences of childhood cancer, and enhances the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors.
CCDI is making data more accessible for researchers and fast-tracking advances for children with cancer.
In other good news, the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) received $165 million, an increase from $135 million. Since 2009, this program has supported innovative research in cancers designated by Congress as relevant to those in military service and their families -- which include pediatric cancers.
International Research Partnerships
The bill’s report language will direct NIH to re-allow reimbursements to research partners abroad for pediatric cancer clinical research trials. Without our international partners, childhood cancer data collection, which is required to make breakthrough discoveries, would take decades longer to achieve.
International childhood cancer research partnerships are essential to developing new, effective, and less toxic treatments for children with cancer in the U.S.
These achievements reaffirm the long-standing bipartisan commitment in Congress to advancing medical research.
Thank you
Because thousands of advocates like you spoke up, kids with cancer have a brighter future today.
For every message you sent to lawmakers, every phone call, every tweet, every 'share' of a post, every child's story told: Thank you.
What's Next?
While we take this moment to celebrate these monumental achievements, we're also looking ahead.
Here are just a few things we're already working on at Children's Cancer Cause:
Advocating for robust research funding in fiscal year 2027;
Laying the groundwork to incorporate provisions favorable to childhood cancer in the 2027 Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA);
Securing reintroduction of comprehensive survivorship legislation; and
Collaborating with partners in the ongoing effort to make healthcare more affordable and accessible.