[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 206 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6682-H6684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROMOTING RESOURCES TO EXPAND VACCINATION, EDUCATION, AND NEW
TREATMENTS FOR HPV CANCERS ACT OF 2021
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1550) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
a public awareness campaign with respect to human papillomavirus, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1550
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 ``Promoting Resources to
Expand Vaccination, Education, and New Treatments for HPV
Cancers Act of 2021'' or the ``PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. PREVENTING HPV AND HPV-ASSOCIATED CANCERS;
REAUTHORIZING JOHANNA'S LAW.
Section 317P of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
247b-17) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``cervical'';
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``other'' and all that
follows through ``cancer.'' and inserting ``recommended
diagnostics for early intervention for, and prevention of,
HPV-associated cancers; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) the importance of recommended vaccines for prevention
of HPV and HPV-associated cancers, including for males;'';
and
(2) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
``(d) Johanna's Law.--
``(1) National public awareness campaign.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a national
campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of health
care providers and individuals with respect to gynecologic
cancers, HPV, and HPV-associated cancers, and the importance
of HPV vaccines in preventing HPV and HPV-associated cancers.
``(B) Written materials.--Activities under the national
campaign under subparagraph (A) shall include--
``(i) maintaining a supply of written materials that
provide information to the public on gynecologic cancers,
HPV, and HPV-associated cancers; and
``(ii) distributing the materials to members of the public
upon request.
``(C) Public service announcements.--Activities under the
national campaign under subparagraph (A) shall, in accordance
with applicable law and regulations, include publishing
materials in digital or print form, public engagement, and
developing and placing public service announcements intended
to encourage individuals to discuss with their physicians--
``(i) their risk of gynecologic cancers and HPV-associated
cancers; and
``(ii) the importance of HPV vaccines in preventing HPV and
HPV-associated cancers.
``(D) Targeted populations.--Activities under the national
campaign under subparagraph (A) shall include culturally and
linguistically competent public service announcements and
other forms of communication and public engagement under
subparagraph (C) targeted to--
``(i) specific higher-risk populations of individuals based
on race, ethnicity, level of acculturation, and family
history, including African-American and Ashkenazi Jewish
individuals;
``(ii) communities with high rates of unvaccinated
individuals, including males;
``(iii) rural communities;
``(iv) populations affected by increasing rates of
oropharynx cancers;
``(v) health care providers specializing in assisting
survivors of sexual assault; and
``(vi) such other communities as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
``(2) Consultation.--In carrying out the national campaign
under this section, the Secretary shall consult with--
``(A) health care providers;
``(B) nonprofit organizations (including gynecologic cancer
organizations and organizations that represent communities
and individuals most affected by HPV-associated cancers and
low vaccination rates);
``(C) State and local public health departments; and
``(D) elementary and secondary education organizations and
institutions of higher education.
``(3) Demonstration projects regarding outreach and
education strategies.--
``(A) In general.--
``(i) Program.--The Secretary may carry out a program to
award grants or contracts to public or nonprofit private
entities for the purpose of carrying out demonstration
projects to test, compare, and evaluate different evidence-
based outreach and education strategies to increase the
awareness and knowledge of women, their families, physicians,
nurses, and other key health professionals with respect to
gynecologic cancers, including with respect to early warning
signs, risk factors, prevention, screening, and treatment
options.
``(ii) Science-based resources.--In making awards under
clause (i), the Secretary shall encourage awardees to use
science-based resources such as the Inside Knowledge About
Gynecologic Cancer education campaign of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
``(B) Preferences in awarding grants or contracts.--In
making awards under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall
give preference to--
``(i) applicants with demonstrated expertise in gynecologic
cancer education or treatment or in working with groups of
women who are at increased risk of gynecologic cancers; and
``(ii) applicants that, in the demonstration project funded
by the grant or contract, will establish linkages between
physicians, nurses, other key health professionals, health
profession students, hospitals, payers, and State health
departments.
``(C) Application.--To seek a grant or contract under
subparagraph (A), an entity shall submit an application to
the Secretary in such form, in such manner, and containing
such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary
determines to be necessary to carry out this paragraph.
``(D) Certain requirements.--In making awards under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall--
``(i) make awards, as practicable, to not fewer than five
applicants; and
``(ii) ensure that information provided through
demonstration projects under this paragraph is consistent
with the best available medical information.
``(E) Report to congress.--Not later than 24 months after
the date of the enactment of the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of
2021, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that--
[[Page H6683]]
``(i) summarizes the activities of demonstration projects
under subparagraph (A);
``(ii) evaluates the extent to which the projects were
effective in increasing awareness and knowledge of risk
factors and early warning signs in the populations to which
the projects were directed; and
``(iii) identifies barriers to early detection and
appropriate treatment of such cancers.
``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of
carrying out this subsection, there is authorized to be
appropriated $25,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022
through 2026.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1550.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1550, the PREVENT HPV
Cancers Act. This bill will help prevent cancer in thousands of
individuals by stepping up our outreach and education to ensure that we
are reaching people eligible for human papillomavirus, or HPV vaccines.
HPV causes nearly 36,000 cases of cancer in men and women each year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that nearly
33,000 of these cases can be prevented through vaccination.
The HPV vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in most forms
of HPV, and in turn, preventing cancer caused by the virus. For
example, women who have been vaccinated against HPV have been shown to
be 90 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Mr. Speaker, despite the high efficacy of the vaccines and increased
vaccination rates, the rates are still below CDC targets and far lower
for HPV than for other recommended vaccines. And while cervical cancer
rates have gone down, other types of HPV-associated cancers, including
head and neck cancers, have been on the rise.
We must do more to improve our outreach to teens and young adults,
and this bill does that by creating a national campaign to educate
health providers and the public on HPV, HPV-associated cancers, and the
importance of HPV vaccines in preventing these cancers.
Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation passed unanimously out of
the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It deserves our support here on
the floor, so please join me in preventing cancer and supporting this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common virus in
the United States, infecting about 13 million Americans each year.
While 9 out of 10 HPV infections are benign, in some circumstances, HPV
can cause cancer. Records from the CDC indicate about 36,000 cases of
cancer each year are caused by this virus. Sadly, many of these
infections and cancer diagnoses can be prevented by the HPV vaccine.
H.R. 1550 would carry out a national campaign to increase awareness
for healthcare providers and patients regarding these cancers.
Additionally, the campaign will highlight the benefits associated with
HPV vaccines in preventing HPV and HPV-related cancers.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), the sponsor of the legislation.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone for
yielding the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation
with Representative Kim Schrier, the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act.
Mr. Speaker, if Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the NIH, called a
press conference today and announced that we had found a cure for
cancer, there would be cause for celebration.
Well, since 2006, there has been a safe and effective vaccine that
prevents six types of cancer, including HPV-related cancers, including
cervical cancer and throat cancer. It has been a remarkable
development. The problem is that with these HPV-related cancers, there
are no screening tests for many of these cancers, other than cervical
cancer, for which there is a screening test. So you have to rely on
prevention in order to avoid ever contracting these types of cancers.
The other problem is that during the pandemic, there has been a
dramatic drop-off in childhood vaccinations. It is very troubling. All
childhood vaccinations have fallen way off, but particularly with the
cancer-preventing HPV vaccine.
According to data from CDC, HPV vaccinations fell by almost 64
percent for children ages 9 to 12, and they fell 71 percent for young
people ages 13 to 17 compared to the previous two years. Last year
alone, more than 1 million doses were missed.
Mr. Speaker, here is what is also troubling, the trends that are
here: There is a distinct rise among men and HPV-related cancers. Four
out of ten HPV-related cancers occur among men: a lot of throat cancer.
There are now 14,000 men annually being diagnosed with HPV-related
cancers. That is a five-fold increase over the past 20 years.
We can tackle this problem by helping educate families and parents
all across America to avoid these catastrophic diagnoses and save lives
in doing it.
The PREVENT HPV Cancers Act builds on work the CDC is already doing
to raise awareness about gynecological cancers through Johanna's Law
and includes HPV and HPV-related cancers in the national public
awareness campaign to educate providers, parents, and the general
public about the lifesaving HPV vaccine. This is especially important
in rural areas where there has also been a very dramatic drop-off.
I thank my friends back home at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida's
only NCI-designated cancer center, Dr. Anna Giuliano, who is an expert
in the field, for educating me, and for bringing together advocates
across the country.
I thank Chairman Pallone, Chair Eshoo, Ranking Member McMorris
Rodgers, and Chairman Guthrie very much for their help, and Dr. Burgess
as well for his support. Thank you for making this a bipartisan effort.
I also thank Stephen Holland with the majority staff and Kristen
Shatynski with the minority staff.
Mr. Speaker, to the parents and families, it is vitally important to
know that you can prevent your children from ever contracting cancer
through the HPV vaccine. It is safe and effective, and more parents
need to understand the import of doing this.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption, a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1550, the
PREVENT HPV Cancers Act.
{time} 1545
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it was 16 years ago that we first authorized
Johanna's Law, it was a long time ago. I was a fairly junior Member and
Congresswoman DeLauro had worked on it for a number of years before
that. It is something that today will easily be reauthorized--and
America has been and will be better for--and seems easy. But it is
never easy to begin the process of helping people understand what they
don't know.
Misinformation or a failure to have information continues to cause
young women to die of cancer needlessly: whether it is ovarian cancer,
gynecological cancer of any sort, whether it is related to HPV, or some
other fashion. The fact is, Johanna's Law, H.R. 1550, which it is
merged with, in fact, is something that America needs to understand
today and in the future.
When we originally passed Johanna's Law, we had 257 cosponsors and
could have had more. More than 100 Republicans and Democrats signed on
before we brought it to the floor. On that day, we said, if we can only
get $10 million to get the awareness. We passed the bill and then we
went looking for the money.
[[Page H6684]]
Over time the money has increased. The fact is, Americans today,
especially young women, are not as informed as they need to be.
Reauthorizing both of these bills in one goes a step further to
educating people about preventable death, preventable cancer.
The fact is, I am thrilled that Congress, in such a tumultuous time,
from time to time, comes together across the aisle and does something
so important.
These bills do not cost much, but the lives they save are precious
and priceless. Mr. Speaker, I urge its support.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would urge support for this bipartisan
and very important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 1550,
the ``PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021.''
I would like to thank my colleagues Congresswoman Kathy Castor and
Congresswoman Kim Schrier for introducing this important legislation.
The ``Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New
Treatments for HPV Cancers Act'' or the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act has the
ultimate goal of preventing HPV-related cancers.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that causes six
types of cancers, leading to nearly 36,000 cases of cancer in the
United States every year, according to the CDC.
Nearly 42 million people are currently infected with HPV in the
United States.
The HPV vaccine provides safe, effective, and lasting protection
against the HPV infections that most commonly cause cancer.
This vaccine is so effective that the World Health Organization
established a goal of total eradication of cervical cancer--and this
legislation can be part of our nation's commitment to reaching that
goal.
This vaccine can help prevent these cancers, and it is the goal of
the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act to increase vaccination rates.
HPV-related cancers disproportionately affect individuals who are
living on a lower income, have lower education levels, and are from a
racial or ethnic minority group.
Increased public awareness and immunization initiatives would help
improve vaccination rates in these underserved communities.
More comprehensive research on the HPV vaccine, as authorized in the
PREVENT HPV Cancers Act, would also help better identify these
disparities and ways to address them.
There is rampant societal mistrust and vaccine hesitancy, and while
immunizations are one of the greatest public health tools we have, they
work best when there is widespread use.
This legislation will spread awareness so that more people will be
vaccinated against HPV, and fund research to help stop the largely
preventable deaths caused by HPV linked cancers.
When we have the tools to prevent cancer, we should without a doubt
utilize them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 1550, the PREVENT HPV
Cancers Act of 2021.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
November 30, 2021 on page H6684, in the first column, the
following appeared: When we have the tools to prevent cancer, we
should without a doubt utilize them. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker,
I rise in full support of H.R. 1550, the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act
of 2021.
The online version has been corrected to read: When we have the
tools to prevent cancer, we should without a doubt utilize them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 1550, the PREVENT HPV
Cancers Act of 2021.
========================= END NOTE =========================
I would like to thank my colleagues Congresswoman Kathy Castor and
Congresswoman Kim Schrier for introducing this important legislation.
The Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education, and New
Treatments for HPV Cancers Act, or the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act, has the
ultimate goal of preventing HPV-related cancers.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that causes six
types of cancers, leading to nearly 36,000 cases of cancer in the
United States every year, according to the CDC.
Nearly 42 million people are currently infected with HPV in the
United States.
The HPV vaccine provides safe, effective, and lasting protection
against the HPV infections that most commonly cause cancer.
This vaccine is so effective that the World Health Organization
established a goal of total eradication of cervical cancer--and this
legislation can be part of our nation's commitment to reaching that
goal.
This vaccine can help prevent these cancers, and it is the goal of
the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act to increase vaccination rates.
HPV-related cancers disproportionately affect individuals who are
living on a lower income, have lower education levels, and are from a
racial or ethnic minority group.
Increased public awareness and immunization initiatives would help
improve vaccination rates in these underserved communities.
More comprehensive research on the HPV vaccine, as authorized in the
PREVENT HPV Cancers Act, would also help better identify these
disparities and ways to address them.
There is rampant societal mistrust and vaccine hesitancy, and while
immunizations are one of the greatest public health tools we have, they
work best when there is widespread use.
This legislation will spread awareness so that more people will be
vaccinated against HPV, and fund research to help stop the largely
preventable deaths caused by HPV linked cancers.
When we have the tools to prevent cancer, we should without a doubt
utilize them.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1550, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________