H.R. 1796 reauthorizes and expands a federal program focused on sickle cell disease research, prevention, and treatment. The bill increases annual funding for the program from $4.5 million to $8.2 million per year, covering fiscal years 2025 through 2029, and broadens the program's scope to specifically include prevention and treatment of complications from sickle cell disease, not just the disease itself. The legislation also allows the Department of Health and Human Services greater flexibility in how it distributes these funds—enabling grants and cooperative agreements in addition to contracts with organizations working on sickle cell initiatives. The bill affects patients with sickle cell disease (a genetic blood disorder that disproportionately affects Black Americans) and the medical institutions, researchers, and treatment providers serving them. Congress additionally calls for increased research into heritable blood disorders more broadly to identify new cures and understand their underlying causes.
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