December 29, 2022:
Community advocacy has been critical to pushing forward The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (H.R.8585) — the first-ever legislation solely devoted to ending Parkinson’s disease. Since the bill’s introduction in July 2022, it has garnered an astounding amount of support. Working under an ambitious timeline, we had hoped The National Plan would be passed this year, but in the coming days, the United States Congress will adjourn. But that doesn’t mean the end of this historic legislation.
Our champions on Capitol Hill have assured us they will reintroduce the bill when the new Congress convenes in 2023, and they will do everything they can to get it passed next year. There were many competing national priorities at the end of this session, and the bill was not able to move forward given the tight time crunch.
We have a lot to be thankful for — most of all, this incredible Parkinson’s community who rallied together to educate Congress about the need for this legislation. Twelve Senators and more than 70 Representatives signed on as co-sponsors, and advocates sent nearly 40,000 messages to Capitol Hill to call for the bill’s passage. That kind of support goes a long way in ensuring this legislation will get priority attention in the new Congress.
“I’ve worked in politics and policy for more than 30 years, and it takes most legislation many years and many attempts at passage,” said Ted Thompson, JD, senior vice president for public policy at MJFF. “What was amazing to see was the outpouring of support and advocacy from grassroots advocates and community partners who spent the past five months educating their Senators and Representatives about this bill. This most certainly will help in the new Congress when the bill is reintroduced. Thank you.”
Stay tuned here on our blog and through our email and social channels for news about the National Plan to End Parkinson’s when it’s re-introduced in 2023.
December 5, 2022:
Advocates continue to meet with Members of Congress to educate them about the National Plan to End Parkinson's disease, and the need for a national strategy to prevent and cure Parkinson’s.
Please reach out to your Members of Congress today and urge them to pass this bill now! The bill must pass this session, or it will need to be reintroduced in 2023 in the new Congress.
As Congress continues its work in the "lame duck" session before they adjourn at the end of December, four new Senators have joined the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act as co-sponsors. We welcome Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Chris VanHollen (D-MD), and we thank them for their support of this historic legislation. And, 14 new members of the House of Representatives also have joined the legislation as co-sponsors.
To learn more about the congressional process for this legislation, check out our webinar or podcast episode on this topic!
November 10, 2022:
With the November 8 midterm elections now over, Congress will return to Washington to finish out the year before the new Congress is sworn in in January 2023. If you haven’t reached out to your Senators or Representative to ask them to co-sponsor this historic legislation, now is the time! Contact Congress today.
MJFF’s government relations team and MJFF senior leadership continues to meet with Members of Congress to educate them about Parkinson’s disease and the need for a national strategy to prevent and cure Parkinson’s, as well as ensure those living with the disease have access to the care they need.
This bill must pass this session, or else it will need to be reintroduced in 2023 in the new Congress. Please reach out to your Members of Congress today and urge them to pass this bill now!
October 28, 2022:
MJFF advocates have been busy! Fourteen new members of the House of Representatives have signed on to co-sponsor the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, bringing the current total to 47 co-sponsors!
MJFF's government relations team has been meeting with the staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to ensure this bill is making its way through the process toward passage before the end of the year.
For more information about how this bill will work its way through Congress, check out our webinar or podcast episode on this topic!
October 1, 2022:
In the Senate, there are four new co-sponsors of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act! Joining to offer their support are Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). And, 17 more members of the House of Representatives have signed onto the House version of the bill as co-sponsors.
Thank you to our wonderful advocates in the Parkinson’s community whose voices have been heard!
September 14, 2022:
The U.S. Senate introduced their version of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (S.4851) today. The two lead co-sponsors on this bill are Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). The bill will be handled by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee as it moves through the Senate process to be considered for passage.
Now that the bill has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, it is more likely to move through the committee process and be considered for passage by the end of the year.
September 2, 2022:
In the House of Representatives, 14 Representatives have signed on to the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act as co-sponsors! The Senate version of the bill will be introduced soon — so stay tuned to this blog and MJFF’s social media channels for the latest and greatest!
On Thursday, July 28, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the first-ever legislation solely devoted to ending Parkinson’s disease. This is a historic moment for the Parkinson’s community!
The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (H.R.8585) will, for the first time, unite the federal government and private enterprise in a mission to prevent and cure Parkinson’s, alleviate financial and health burdens on American families, and ensure those living with the disease have access to the care they need.
This bipartisan legislation is led by Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson’s community are thankful for their leadership.
So now what?
This bill will go through the traditional congressional process and will need to be voted on by the House. To make this happen, your Representative in the U.S. House needs to hear from you! Please send an email asking them to show their support for this bill by becoming a co-sponsor. It’s easy and only takes about 90 seconds.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is working with two Senators to introduce the Senate’s companion bill in the coming weeks, because it is standard congressional procedure for both chambers of Congress to pass the bill before it can go to the President for signature.
Sign up to receive our advocacy updates so you can be notified when it’s time to email your Senators to ask for their support of this bill.
Why a national plan and why now?
Parkinson’s is a disease that requires a national effort to cure and prevent. Parkinson’s costs the U.S. $52 billion every year, half of which is shouldered by the federal government, and that annual cost is expected to grow to $80 billion by the year 2037. A national plan to end Parkinson’s has the potential to:
- Dramatically increase federal research funding;
- Develop more effective pathways for treatments and cures;
- Improve early diagnosis;
- Spark new and improved models for patient care;
- Create standards and measures to prevent Parkinson’s disease;
- Address health disparities in diagnosis, treatment and clinical trial participation; and
- Enhance public awareness of the disease.
The public-private advisory council created as part of this legislation will report every year to Congress on their progress and impact in ending Parkinson’s. This is the kind of forward-looking strategy and responsible accountability the Parkinson’s community needs and deserves.
We will update this blog as the legislation advances through Congress, so stay tuned!
What Congress is saying about The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act