U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) applauded action by the U.S. House of Representatives, which on July 21 voted overwhelmingly to approve his bipartisan bill to promote early detection and education regarding breast cancer for young and high-risk women.
The House voted 394-6 to advance the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act, H.R. 4541, to the U.S. Senate. Rep. Fitzpatrick cosponsored the bill in July 2025 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).
“America has made extraordinary progress in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, but that progress only matters if it reaches the people whose lives depend on it,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “Early detection remains one of the most effective tools we have to improve outcomes and save lives.
“No woman should miss that opportunity because she lacked the right information, her provider lacked the right resources, or cost and insurance barriers placed care beyond her reach,” he added. “Closing those gaps has been a top priority of my work as co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus.”
The House-passed package renews proven programs that help young and high-risk women understand their breast cancer risk, recognize warning signs, and receive informed care sooner, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s staff.
Originally enacted in 2010, the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act would reauthorize the EARLY Act through 2031, protecting three core programs: The Bring Your Brave campaign, the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Program, and continuing medical education for healthcare providers, the summary says.
“My mother and sister are breast cancer survivors, so this mission is deeply personal to me,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Their experience is a constant reminder that when women receive the right information and the right care at the right time, lives can change — and lives can be saved.”
The package also includes the full provisions of Rep. Fitzpatrick’s bipartisan Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act, H.R. 2381, which he cosponsored in March 2025 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) to reauthorize and strengthen the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program through 2030 with $235 million in annual funding, among other provisions.
The reauthorization package is supported by more than 20 cancer prevention and patient advocacy organizations, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Susan G. Komen, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
The legislation now advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration.