[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 200 (Thursday, December 22, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H10025-H10026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORSHIP, TREATMENT, ACCESS, AND RESEARCH 
                      REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2022

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 4120) to maximize discovery, and accelerate development and 
availability, of promising childhood cancer treatments, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 4120

       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 ``Childhood Cancer 
     Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Reauthorization 
     Act of 2022'' or the ``Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZING AND IMPROVING THE CHILDHOOD STAR ACT.

       (a) Children's Cancer Biorepositories.--Section 417E of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285a-11) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting before the period at 
     the end of the second sentence the following: ``, such as 
     collected samples of both solid tumor cancer and paired 
     samples'';
       (B) in paragraph (9), by striking ``Childhood Cancer 
     Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2018'' 
     and inserting ``Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, 
     Access, and Research Reauthorization Act of 2022'';
       (C) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (11); and
       (D) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
       ``(10) Report on researcher access to children's cancer 
     biorepository samples.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
     of enactment of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, 
     Access, and Research Reauthorization Act of 2022, the 
     Director of NIH shall--
       ``(A) conduct a review of the procedures established under 
     paragraph (2)(C) and other policies or procedures related to 
     researcher access to such biospecimens to identify any 
     opportunities to reduce administrative burden, consistent 
     with paragraph (2)(D), in a manner that protects personal 
     privacy to the extent required by applicable Federal and 
     State privacy law, at a minimum; and
       ``(B) submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
     and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the 
     findings of the review under subparagraph (A) and whether the 
     Director of NIH plans to make any changes to the policies or 
     procedures considered in such review, based on such 
     findings.''; and
       (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``2019 through 2023'' 
     and inserting ``2024 through 2028''.
       (b) Cancer Survivorship Programs.--Section 201 of the 
     Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and 
     Research Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-180) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Pilot Programs 
     to Explore'' and inserting ``Research to Evaluate''
       (B) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``may make awards to eligible entities to 
     establish pilot programs'' and inserting ``shall, as 
     appropriate, make awards to eligible entities to conduct or 
     support research'';
       (ii) by striking ``model systems'' and inserting 
     ``approaches'';
       (iii) by inserting ``and adolescent'' after ``childhood''; 
     and
       (iv) by striking ``evaluation of models for'';
       (C) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause 
     (i), by inserting ``within the existing peer review 
     process,'' after ``practicable,''; and
       (ii) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking ``in treating 
     survivors of childhood cancers'' and inserting ``in carrying 
     out the activities described in paragraph (1)''; and
       (D) in paragraph (3)(B)(v), by striking ``design of systems 
     for the effective transfer of treatment information and care 
     summaries from cancer care providers to other health care 
     providers'' and inserting ``design tools to support the 
     secure electronic transfer of treatment information and care 
     summaries

[[Page H10026]]

     between health care providers or, as applicable and 
     appropriate, longitudinal childhood cancer survivorship 
     cohorts''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in each of paragraphs (1) and (2), by striking ``date 
     of enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``date of enactment 
     of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and 
     Research Reauthorization Act of 2022''; and
       (B) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (C);
       (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (A); 
     and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) recommendations for enhancing or promoting activities 
     of the Department of Health and Human Services related to 
     workforce development for health care providers who provide 
     psychosocial care to pediatric cancer patients and 
     survivors.''.
  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 S. 4120.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kildee). 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.
  I rise in support of S. 4120, the Senate companion to H.R. 7630, the 
Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act. Last night, this bill passed 
in the Senate by unanimous consent, and I am glad that we are now 
considering it under suspension.
  Mr. Speaker, cancer is the leading cause of death in American 
children, yet only 4 percent of the National Cancer Institute's budget 
is dedicated to childhood and adolescent cancer research.
  Since its original implementation, the STAR Act has provided 
resources for State cancer registries to identify and track pediatric 
cancer incidence, enhance research on childhood cancer survivorship and 
innovative treatment models, and support the pediatric cancer 
workforce.
  The bill before us reauthorizes the STAR Act for 5 years at $30 
million per year, requires a report on researcher access to cancer 
biorepository samples, and expands research to evaluate survivorship 
and treatment approaches in children and adolescents with cancer.
  I thank the House and Senate sponsors and families across the country 
who have advocated for this important reauthorization.
  I look forward to the STAR Act passing and adding on to the Energy 
and Commerce Committee's efforts in the 117th Congress to enhance 
pediatric cancer research, such as the Gabriella Miller Kids First 
Research Act 2.0 and ARPA-H.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 4120, the Childhood Cancer 
STAR Reauthorization Act led by Mr. McCaul. This program at the 
National Institutes of Health is integral to the fight against 
childhood cancers and also helps inform how best to care for those who 
are childhood cancer survivors.
  The Childhood Cancer STAR Act, enacted in 2018, has been fully funded 
each year and has led to new standards of care for childhood cancer 
survivors, increased the ability for new childhood cancer research at 
NIH, and helped collect better data about prevalence of childhood 
cancers.
  This straight reauthorization, at currently reauthorized levels, also 
includes a report to Congress to make sure that researchers outside of 
NIH are able to capitalize on the work facilitated by the STAR Act.
  This bill passed the House by unanimous consent and has over 100 
cosponsors in the House. I plan to support it today. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to come to the floor of the House and talk 
about childhood cancer and not talk about a young lady that I knew when 
I was about 9 or 10 years old, Tam Hanback. Over the last probably 45, 
46 years, I have thought about her often. Every time I see St. Jude's 
commercials, I think about her from our Sunday school class.
  If we had the technology then that we have today, she would probably 
be 58 years old, just like I am, but unfortunately, we didn't.
  So in honor of her, Tam Hanback, from Alabama, I will support this 
bill, and I encourage my friends to do so as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, this is an important piece of 
legislation. I ask all Members on both sides of the aisle to support 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  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, S. 4120.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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