Fitzpatrick & Boyle Applaud House Passage of Their Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Lung Cancer Research, Prevention, and Awareness for Women

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act--critical legislation led by Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Brendan Boyle (PA-2) to strengthen the federal response to the leading cause of cancer death among women.

The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to conduct a comprehensive interagency review of lung cancer in women. The review will examine current research, identify gaps in women's access to preventive services, and support stronger public awareness efforts. The legislation responds to a growing and urgent reality: lung cancer continues to take the lives of women at alarming rates, including many women with no history of smoking.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and are leading the companion measure.

Watch Congressman Fitzpatrick speak on the House Floor in support of the bill here.

"Today's bipartisan House passage of our Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act sends a clear message: we are united in the fight for women's health and we will not allow it to remain an afterthought in our nation's cancer response," said Fitzpatrick. "Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among women, often striking women who have never smoked, yet our research, prevention, and public awareness efforts have not kept pace with that reality. Rep. Boyle and I have worked together for years to elevate this issue, and today's vote is real progress-but it cannot be the last step. I look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues in the Senate on this, because in a fight measured in lives, delay is not neutral."

"Every eight minutes, an American woman loses her life to lung cancer. The status quo is unacceptable - and with the passage of our bipartisan bill, we have taken a significant step forward in the fight against lung cancer," said Boyle. "We are taking action to address the persistent disparities in lung cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for women. I'll continue working across the aisle to ensure that Congress delivers the research and action needed to confront this horrible disease."

"This bipartisan legislation represents a critical step toward closing longstanding gaps in lung cancer research and addressing outdated assumptions about who is at risk," said GO2 for Lung Cancer Interim Co-CEO Danielle Hicks. "We urgently need a better understanding of why more young, otherwise healthy women with no traditional risk factors are developing this disease. Advancing this research will help clarify risk, improve early detection, and ensure patients and their families get the answers they deserve, benefiting everyone impacted by lung cancer."

"The Act advances our understanding of lung cancer while addressing stigma at its roots-replacing blame with evidence and ensuring all at-risk patients are represented in research and have access to preventive services," said Elridge Proctor, Senior Director of Government Affairs at GO2 for Lung Cancer. "We extend our sincere gratitude to Representatives Brendan Boyle and Brian Fitzpatrick for elevating lung cancer as a national priority."

The full text of the bill is available here.

Background:

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Cancer Caucus, Congressman Fitzpatrick has built a strong bipartisan record of leadership in the fight against cancer-driving progress in early detection, expanding access to care, modernizing treatment reimbursement, and strengthening the federal research pipeline. His work reflects a sustained commitment to ensuring that patients are not left behind by delayed diagnoses, outdated systems, or barriers to lifesaving care. Recent efforts include:

• Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act - A proven, lifesaving program improving early detection and risk awareness for young and high-risk women.
• Knock Out (K.O.) Cancer Act of 2025 - A bipartisan initiative delivering one of the most significant proposed increases in cancer research funding in a generation while addressing the national crisis of cancer drug shortages.
• Radiation Oncology Case Rate (ROCR) Value-Based Program Act of 2025 - Modernizes Medicare's radiation therapy reimbursement model to improve outcomes, reduce disparities, and generate substantial savings.
• SCREENS for Cancer Act - Reauthorizes the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program through 2030, strengthening access to screening services for low-income and underinsured Americans.
• $1,000,000 Community Project Funding investment for the Grand View Health Pavilion expansion - Enhancing local access to high-quality cancer care, diagnostics, and early detection services across PA-1.

Together, these bipartisan efforts underscore Fitzpatrick's consistent leadership in ensuring that prevention, early detection, treatment innovation, and research remain national priorities. The Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act builds directly on that foundation by bringing long-overdue urgency, visibility, and action to one of the deadliest threats to women's health.

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