Senators Coons, Murkowski celebrate Senate passage of ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act

Bipartisan legislation will preserve access to promising treatments and accelerate research into ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Co-Chairs of the Senate ALS Caucus, celebrated the Senate's unanimous passage of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026. The bipartisan legislation now heads to conference with the House-passed bill to resolve minor differences before being sent to the president's desk. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) lead the companion legislation in the House.

The bill reauthorizes ACT for ALS programs through 2031, helping people living with ALS continue accessing promising investigational treatments while advancing research into ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

"This is a step in the right direction to help people living with ALS and their families," said Senator Coons. "By passing this bipartisan reauthorization, we are ensuring this critical research can continue without interruption. I'm grateful to the incredible community of advocates, patients, and caregivers whose relentless courage and determination have made this possible. ACT for ALS will help countless Americans living with this disease and bring us closer to a cure, and I look forward to its swift enactment."

"ALS is indiscriminate and devastating. It can strike any of us, and it will take all of us working together to support those affected and help end this terminal disease," said Senator Murkowski. "This bill will break down barriers to treatment while accelerating the research and development of therapies for people living with ALS. I'm grateful to partner with Senator Coons and I appreciate that Congress has recognized the importance of this legislation by moving it forward quickly. I look forward to working through the remaining differences in conference so we can get it to the President's desk before these critical programs expire on September 30."

The original ACT for ALS was signed into law in 2021. The reauthorization is supported by I AM ALS, the ALS Network, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the ALS Association.