110th Congress

Carolyn Price Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act

P.L. 110-285 (H.R. 1553)

Impact of Public Law

The Carolyn Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act amends title IV of the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Director of the National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies with an interest in the prevention and treatment of pediatric cancer, to continue to enhance, expand, and intensify pediatric cancer research.  The Act authorizes the Secretary of HHS to award grants for public awareness of pediatric cancers and available treatments and research and requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to award a grant to enhance and expand the infrastructure to track the epidemiology of pediatric cancer into a comprehensive nationwide registry.  To carry out these provisions, the Act authorizes the appropriation of $30 million for each of the fiscal years 2009–2013.  The Act is named after Representative Deborah Pryce’s (R‑OH) daughter, who died in 1999 at age 9 of neuroblastoma, a type of nerve cancer.

Legislative History

H.R. 1553 was introduced by Representative Pryce on March 15, 2007, and was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  On April 23, 2008, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health reported out the bill with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.  On May 7, the full House Committee on Energy and Commerce ordered the bill to be reported out with an amendment in the nature of a substitute by a voice vote.  On June 12, the bill was passed by the House by a vote of 416 to 0.  On July 16, the bill was passed by the Senate by unanimous consent.  On July 29, the bill was signed into law by the President as P.L. 110‑285.

S. 911 was introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) on March 19, 2007, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).  On November 14, the Senate HELP Committee ordered the bill to be reported out with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.  The bill was reported out (without a written report) on December 12 and placed on the legislative calendar under general orders.  No further action has occurred on this legislation.

September 2008