U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has introduced the Senate’s version of a bipartisan bill that would establish a nationwide initiative to prevent and cure Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder affecting roughly one million Americans.
“Far too many West Virginians are impacted by Parkinson’s disease,” Sen. Capito said. “Whether they are living with the disease or caring for someone impacted by it, Parkinson’s takes a terrible toll on the physical, mental, emotional, and economic well-being of everyone involved.”
Sen. Capito sponsored the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, S. 4851, with three original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), which would direct the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out the National Parkinson’s Project.
“The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act is common sense legislation, which will establish a robust response to address the disease and move us towards new treatments and a cure,” said Sen. Capito.
S. 4851 is the companion bill to the same-named H.R. 8585, which U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Fred Upton (R-MI) proposed on July 28 to create an advisory council comprised of members from every federal agency that supports research, care, and services for Parkinson’s, plus caregivers, patients, and other non-federal experts, according to a one-page bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The council would be tasked with ensuring coordination among all the federal entities; evaluating all current federal programs related to Parkinson’s; writing a national plan to prevent and cure Parkinson’s; reducing the financial impact of the disease on patients and the federal government; and reporting annually to Congress on progress toward the plan’s goals, the summary says.
“The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act would create a comprehensive strategy to get us closer to a cure while also ensuring we do everything we can to help patients and their families access higher quality, more affordable care,” said Sen. Murphy.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) endorsed the bill.