[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1116. Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mr. Tillis) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1092 submitted by
Mrs. Murray (for herself and Ms. Collins) and intended to be proposed
to the bill H.R. 4366, making appropriations for military construction,
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of division A, add the following:
TITLE V--COUNTING VETERANS' CANCER ACT OF 2023
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Counting Veterans' Cancer
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 502. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) According to 2017 data from National Program of Cancer
Registries of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
approximately 26,500 cancer cases among veterans were not
reported to State cancer registries funded through such
Program.
(2) Established by Congress in 1992 through the Cancer
Registries Amendment Act (Public Law 102-515), the National
Program of Cancer Registries under section 399B of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e) collects data on cancer
occurrence (including the type, extent, and location of the
cancer), the type of initial treatment, and outcomes.
(3) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support
central cancer registries in 46 States, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, certain territories of the United
States in the Pacific Islands, and the United States Virgin
Islands.
(4) The data obtained by registries described in paragraph
(3) combined with data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology,
and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute and
mortality data from National Center for Health Statistics of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comprise the
official United States Cancer Statistics.
(5) The United States Cancer Statistics reflect all newly
diagnosed cancer cases and cancer deaths for the entire
population of the United States, except for unreported
veterans.
(6) Federal law requires the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute to collect
cancer data for all newly diagnosed cancer cases, but that
currently cannot be achieved due to frequent lack of
reporting by medical facilities of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(7) Releasing all data from medical facilities of the
Department to State cancer registries will provide more
complete data for health care providers, public health
officials, and researchers to--
(A) measure cancer occurrence and trends at the local and
national level;
(B) inform and prioritize cancer educational and screening
programs;
(C) evaluate efficacy of prevention efforts and treatment;
(D) determine survival rates;
(E) conduct research on the etiology, diagnosis, and
treatment of cancer;
(F) ensure quality and equity in cancer care; and
(G) plan for health services.
(8) Capturing cancer data from medical facilities of the
Department in State cancer registries and the United States
Cancer Statistics can benefit veterans by--
(A) improving the ability to identify cancer-related
disparities in the veteran community;
(B) improving understanding of the cancer-related needs of
veterans, which can be incorporated into State Comprehensive
Cancer Control planning for screening and treatment programs
funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
(C) increasing opportunities for veterans with cancer to be
included in more clinical trials and cancer-related research
and analysis being done outside of the health care system of
the Department.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to improve care
for veterans by ensuring all data on veterans diagnosed with
cancer are captured by the national cancer registry programs
supported by the National Program of Cancer Registries of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the
National Cancer Institute.
SEC. 503. REQUIREMENT THAT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
SHARE DATA WITH STATE CANCER REGISTRIES.
(a) Sharing of Data With State Cancer Registries.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 7330E. Sharing of data with State cancer registries
``(a) Sharing by the Department.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall share with the State
cancer registry of each State, if such a registry exists,
qualifying data for all individuals who are residents of the
State and have received health care under the laws
administered by the Secretary.
``(2) Requirements relating to data shared.--In sharing
data under paragraph (1) with a State cancer registry, the
Secretary shall comply with the requirements for non-
Department facilities to report data, in a manner that is as
complete and timely as possible, without requiring a data use
agreement in place between the Department and each State
cancer registry--
``(A) to State cancer registries that are supported by the
National Program of Cancer Registries of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention under section 399B of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e);
``(B) to State cancer registries that are supported by the
Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program of the
National Cancer Institute authorized under the National
Cancer Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-218); and
``(C) to State cancer registries as set forth in relevant
State laws and regulations that authorize a cancer registry.
``(b) Qualifying Data Defined.--In this section, the term
`qualifying data', with respect to a State cancer registry,
means all data required to be provided to the registry
pursuant to the authorities specified in subparagraphs (A)
through (C) of subsection (a)(2).''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of subchapter II of such chapter is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 7330D the
following new item:
``7330E. Sharing of data with State cancer registries.''.
(b) Sharing by State Cancer Registries.--The Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall assist
State cancer registries described in subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of section 7330E(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code,
as added by subsection (a)(1), in facilitating, to the extent
allowed under State laws regulating the cancer registry
program, the sharing with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
of data in the possession of each such registry regarding
diagnosis of cancer for each veteran--
(1) enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment
established and operated under section 1705(a) of such title;
or
(2) registered to receive care from the Department of
Veterans Affairs under section 17.37 of title 38, Code of
Federal Regulations, or successor regulations.
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