House passes breast cancer prevention bill

The House on Tuesday passed legislation by voice vote to reauthorize programs to help inform women about breast cancer.

The measure, H.R. 5185, authorizes $4.9 million annually through fiscal 2019 for breast cancer public education campaigns. The original law, enacted in 2010, authorized the Centers for Disease Control to implement educational outreach.

{mosads}In addition, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress detailing the Department of Health and Human Services’ public education activities.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the bill’s sponsor, noted her own experience with breast cancer after seven surgeries and a double mastectomy.

“The hard truth is that more than 26,000 women under age 45 are diagnosed with this deadly disease each year. And too often, their breast cancer is the more aggressive form and is caught later than it should be,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Lawmakers said the public education campaigns would help more women be diagnosed with the disease earlier.

“This legislation will continue its important work of educating future generations on the risks associated with this disease,” said Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.).