119-hr3490

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3490 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3490

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 June 4, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
 and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

To require the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on 
 esophageal cancer, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Gerald E. Connolly Esophageal Cancer 
Awareness Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that--

    (1) esophageal cancer is the fastest increasing cancer 
 among American men;

    (2) esophageal cancer is one of the fastest growing cancer 
 diagnoses among all Americans, increasing more than 700 percent 
 in recent decades;

    (3) esophageal cancer kills 1 American every 36 minutes 
 every day;

    (4) esophageal cancer is among the deadliest of cancers, 
 with only about 1 in 5 patients surviving 5 years;

    (5) esophageal cancer has tripled in incidence among 
 younger Americans in recent decades;

    (6) esophageal cancer has low survival rates because it is 
 usually discovered at advanced stages when treatment outcomes 
 are poor;

    (7) raising awareness about esophageal cancer empowers 
 individuals to seek preventive care, recognize symptoms, and 
 pursue early detection strategies;

    (8) survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, and 
 researchers have made tremendous strides in advancing treatment 
 options and improving the quality of life for those affected by 
 the disease;

    (9) esophageal cancer can be prevented through early 
 detection of its precursor, Barrett's esophagus, which can be 
 eliminated with curative outpatient techniques;

    (10) research indicates that patients diagnosed with early-
 stage esophageal cancer have a significantly higher 5-year 
 survival rate (as high as 49 percent) compared to those 
 diagnosed at later stages, underscoring the critical need for 
 enhanced screening and awareness; and

    (11) as of December 2022, the American Gastroenterological 
 Association recommends screening with a standard upper 
 endoscopy in individuals with 3 or more established risk 
 factors for Barrett's Esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, 
 including--
        (A) male sex;
        (B) non-Hispanic white ethnicity;
            (C) age of 50 years or older;
            (D) a history of smoking, chronic gastrointestinal 
 reflux disease, or obesity; and
        (E) a family history of Barrett's Esophagus or 
 esophageal adenocarcinoma.

SEC. 3. GAO REPORT.

 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to 
Congress that includes an evaluation of--

    (1) the total impact of esophageal cancer-related health 
 care spending under the Federal Employee Health Benefits 
 Program for Federal employees and retirees diagnosed with 
 esophageal cancer; and

    (2) how often individuals covered under the Federal 
 Employees Health Benefits Program with medical records 
 indicating such individuals are high-risk for esophageal cancer 
 undergo screening according to the established guidelines.

 Passed the House of Representatives June 3, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.