Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act
Encyclopedia
The Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-172) amends the Public Health Service Act
to allocate funding and establish directed research and education programs targeted at forms of blood cancer, in particular leukemia
, lymphoma
, and multiple myeloma
.
The bill was introduced as S. 1094 by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas in June 2001. Hutchinson's brother has had multiple myeloma and she worked for several years to pass legislation of this type. The bill came out through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and passed the United States Senate
by unanimous consent in November 2001. It went through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a voice vote in April 2002. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush
on May 14, 2002.
The research part of the bill, the Joe Moakley Research Excellence Program, requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health
, through the National Cancer Institute
, to expand and coordinate blood cancer research programs. It was named after former Massachusetts Congressman Joe Moakley
, who died in May 2001 of myelodysplastic syndrome
, a form of leukemia. The education part of the bill, the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an education program for patients of such blood cancers and the general public. It is named after former New York Congresswoman and 1984 Democratic vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro
, who has been battling multiple myeloma since 1998. Ferraro did not publicly disclose her disease until June 2001, when she appeared in Congressional hearings to advocate for passage of the Act.
An example of the Moakley program funding is $12.75 million to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
. The Ferraro program was not funded in 2003, but received $5 million funding in 2004.
Public Health Service Act
The Public Health Service Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is captured under Title 42 of the United States Code "The Public Health and Welfare", Chapter 6A "Public Health Service"....
to allocate funding and establish directed research and education programs targeted at forms of blood cancer, in particular leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
, and multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
.
The bill was introduced as S. 1094 by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas in June 2001. Hutchinson's brother has had multiple myeloma and she worked for several years to pass legislation of this type. The bill came out through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and passed the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by unanimous consent in November 2001. It went through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a voice vote in April 2002. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on May 14, 2002.
The research part of the bill, the Joe Moakley Research Excellence Program, requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, through the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
, to expand and coordinate blood cancer research programs. It was named after former Massachusetts Congressman Joe Moakley
Joe Moakley
John Joseph "Joe" Moakley was a Democratic congressman from the Ninth District of Massachusetts, a seat held two years earlier by Speaker John William McCormack. Moakley was the last chairman of the U.S...
, who died in May 2001 of myelodysplastic syndrome
Myelodysplastic syndrome
The myelodysplastic syndromes are a diverse collection of hematological medical conditions that involve ineffective production of the myeloid class of blood cells....
, a form of leukemia. The education part of the bill, the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an education program for patients of such blood cancers and the general public. It is named after former New York Congresswoman and 1984 Democratic vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
, who has been battling multiple myeloma since 1998. Ferraro did not publicly disclose her disease until June 2001, when she appeared in Congressional hearings to advocate for passage of the Act.
An example of the Moakley program funding is $12.75 million to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the nation's original three comprehensive cancer centers established by the National Cancer Act of 1971. It is both a degree-granting academic institution and a cancer treatment and research center located at the Texas Medical Center in...
. The Ferraro program was not funded in 2003, but received $5 million funding in 2004.