[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3490 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.3490

                     One Hundred Nineteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Saturday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-six


                                 An Act


 
 To require the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on 
               esophageal cancer, 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 ``Gerald E. Connolly Esophageal Cancer 
Awareness Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    Congress finds that--
        (1) esophageal cancer is the fastest increasing cancer among 
    American men;
        (2) esophageal cancer is one of the fastest growing cancer 
    diagnoses among all Americans, increasing more than 700 percent in 
    recent decades;
        (3) esophageal cancer kills 1 American every 36 minutes every 
    day;
        (4) esophageal cancer is among the deadliest of cancers, with 
    only about 1 in 5 patients surviving 5 years;
        (5) esophageal cancer has tripled in incidence among younger 
    Americans in recent decades;
        (6) esophageal cancer has low survival rates because it is 
    usually discovered at advanced stages when treatment outcomes are 
    poor;
        (7) raising awareness about esophageal cancer empowers 
    individuals to seek preventive care, recognize symptoms, and pursue 
    early detection strategies;
        (8) survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, and 
    researchers have made tremendous strides in advancing treatment 
    options and improving the quality of life for those affected by the 
    disease;
        (9) esophageal cancer can be prevented through early detection 
    of its precursor, Barrett's esophagus, which can be eliminated with 
    curative outpatient techniques;
        (10) research indicates that patients diagnosed with early-
    stage esophageal cancer have a significantly higher 5-year survival 
    rate (as high as 49 percent) compared to those diagnosed at later 
    stages, underscoring the critical need for enhanced screening and 
    awareness; and
        (11) as of December 2022, the American Gastroenterological 
    Association recommends screening with a standard upper endoscopy in 
    individuals with 3 or more established risk factors for Barrett's 
    Esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, including--
            (A) male sex;
            (B) non-Hispanic white ethnicity;
            (C) age of 50 years or older;
            (D) a history of smoking, chronic gastrointestinal reflux 
        disease, or obesity; and
            (E) a family history of Barrett's Esophagus or esophageal 
        adenocarcinoma.
SEC. 3. GAO REPORT.
    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to 
Congress that includes an evaluation of--
        (1) the total impact of esophageal cancer-related health care 
    spending under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for 
    Federal employees and retirees diagnosed with esophageal cancer; 
    and
        (2) how often individuals covered under the Federal Employees 
    Health Benefits Program with medical records indicating such 
    individuals are high-risk for esophageal cancer undergo screening 
    according to the established guidelines.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.