[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7091 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7091
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require medical facilities of
the Department of Veterans Affairs to share certain data with State
cancer registries, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 25, 2024
Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia (for herself and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require medical facilities of
the Department of Veterans Affairs to share certain data with State
cancer registries, 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 ``Counting Veterans' Cancer Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. 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. 3. 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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