Give Kids a Chance Act, S 932, HR 1262

  • We are still in the long slog: the Give Kids a Chance Act was introduced in both chambers but did not get into the markups we were aiming for in April for reasons entirely unrelated to our bill. The Give Kids a Chance Act also did not get into the reconciliation bill — it was not eligible.

    This month, it's a new problem: there is so much bad blood in Congress that bills are not moving. We will have our next opportunity:
    — for markups in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and in the Senate HELP Committee,
    — for a House suspension vote and a Senate unanimous consent vote, and
    — for inclusion in the September continuing resolution to fund the budget. 

    Meanwhile, we continue to build support for Give Kids a Chance Act by collecting a whopping 190 cosponsors. Give Kids a Chance Act is now one of the top 10 most cosponsored bipartisan bills in Congress.

    Only 2% of all bills pass into law. Give Kids a Chance Act must be in that 2% — We ask Republicans and Democrats to come together to protect kids with cancer.

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  • Kids v Cancer is thrilled to announce that yesterday, the Give Kids a Chance Act was introduced in the Senate.

    However, Kids v Cancer is also disappointed to announce that the Give Kids a Chance Act was not included in the House of Representatives continuing resolution (CR) to fund the budget.

    Senate Introduces the Give Kids a Chance Act, S 932, HR 1262

     We thank Senators Markwayne Mullin and Michael Bennet for introducing the Give Kids a Chance Act, S932 yesterday. Senators Mullin and Bennet have a long history of helping children with cancer.  

    The Give Kids a Chance Act combines two critical initiatives for drug development for children with cancer — the original Give Kids a Chance Act and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act.

    • Today, thousands of successful drug combination therapies are being developed for adults with cancer. But children with cancer only get trials of one new drug at a time. The original Give Kids a Chance Act removes regulatory hurdles and authorizes the FDA to direct companies to study combinations of cancer drugs in kids as well. The Give Kids a Chance Act ensures children can have the same chance at cures as adults.

    • The Creating Hope Reauthorization Act provides incentives for companies to develop drugs expressly for kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses even though the markets for such drugs are so small. This law has resulted in over 60 new drugs for kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses since it was first passed in 2012. However, Congress let it expire last December!

    The Give Kids a Chance Act does all this without costing taxpayers a dime

    The House did not include the Give Kids a Chance Act in yesterday’s CR

    The Give Kids a Chance Act had been included in last December’s CR until it was cut as as a result of Elon Musk's tweets. Congress had another chance yesterday, when the House passed the next CR. But, to our disappointment, the Give Kids a Chance Act was not included.

     We call upon the Senate and the House to pass the Give Kids a Chance Act as quickly as possible with what legislative options are left – a House suspension vote and a Senate unanimous consent vote.

  • February 12, 2025

    Today, we are thrilled to announce Congressman Michael McCaul has reintroduced the Give Kids a Chance Act in the House of Representatives. 

    Last year, the Give Kids a Chance Act was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

    And, the Give Kids a Chance Act does not cost taxpayers a dime.

    Last December, we were riding high when Give Kids a Chance Act was included in Congress’ end-of-year funding bill in December 2024. We were three hours from victory. But three hours before a scheduled vote, after surprise tweets, the funding bill fell apart and the Give Kids a Chance Act was cut. We had one more chance. At 11:50 pm on December 20th, the last hour of the 118th Congress, the Senate took up our bills. Senator Rand Paul objected. The vote failed. We were back to square one.

    Today, the House has taken a major step to forward the Give Kids a Chance Act once again.

  • We were elated on December 17th when Congress included our pediatric cancer drug development bills, the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act pediatric priority review voucher program and the Give Kids a Chance Act, in the federal end-of-year funding bill. We were so close to victory.

    But three hours before a scheduled vote, after surprise tweets, the funding bill fell apart. What Congress ultimately passed was a stripped down bill from which the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, the Give Kids a Chance Act, Accelerating Kids Access to Drugs Act, RARE Act, and Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act, were cut.

    We went into action. Social media stories blew up the internet. We were covered by CNN, ABC, MSNBC, STATNews, Newsweek, Rolling Stones, The Bulkward.

    We had one more chance. At 11:50 pm on December 20th, the last hour of the 118th Congress, the Senate took up our bills. Senator Rand Paul objected. The vote failed.

    Although Congress eventually funded the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Program, we have gone backwards. The pediatric voucher program has expired. There are no paths to new cures for kids with cancer with combinations of new drugs

Give Kids a Chance

Senate Version of Give Kids a Chance Act

House Version of Give Kids a Chance Act

The Give Kids a Chance Act, S932, includes critical bills to drug development for children with cancer and other rare disease

The Give Kids a Chance Act, HR 1262, also includes other provisions that promote health of children and adults

    • Introduced by Senators Jack Reed and Shelley Capito, and by Representatives Anna Eshoo and Michael McCaul.

    • Championed by American Academy of Pediatrics.

    • This bill extends financial penalties for failure to complete postmarket studies to pediatric studies under the Pediatric Research Equity Act.

    • See https://kidsvcancer.org/innovation

    • Introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin and Mike Braun, and by Representative Doris Matsui.

    • This bill provides that Orphan Disease Act benefits apply to the indication for which a drug is approved rather than its designation.

    • See

      https://kidsvcancer.org/rare

    • Introduced by Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Larry Bucshon and Robin Kelly.

    • This bill would implement financing improvements at OPTN.

    • Introduced by Senators Ted Budd and Maggie Hassan, and by Representative Diana Harshbarger.

    • This bill would place an FDA office in an Abraham Accords country in the Middle East.

Text of the Give Kids a Chance Act, S 932

Congress.gov S 932

Congress.gov HR 1262

Additional Documents for Give Kids a Chance Act of the 118th Congress, last year’s Congress

Additional Documents for Give Kids a Chance Act, S 932, HR 1262

Energy and Commerce Report on Give Kids a Chance Act of 2024, HR 3433

Inclusion of Give Kids a Chance Act in the December 2024 CR (see secs. 801, 804)

Text of the Give Kids a Chance Act, HR 1262

Unanimous Consent Request of December 20, 2024

One Pager for Give Kids a Chance Act, HR 1262

The Give Kids a Chance Act seeks to accelerate the development of novel treatments for children with cancer and rare diseases.   It was introduced in the House by Reps. McCaul, Dingell and Bilirakis.

  • The 118th House passed the Give Kids a Chance Act passed unanimously as a stand-alone bill

  • Give Kids a Chance Act has over 250 bipartisan cosponsors

The Act has the following sections:

Sec 2 of Give Kids a Chance Act, HR 1262

Give Kids a Chance Act Combination Therapies: Provides the FDA with authority to direct pediatric cancer trials for combination drugs when the drugs are owned by the same company or are generics.  Combinations have been demonstrated to be the best chance of new cures for kids with cancer.   This provision is from the Give Kids a Chance Act, HR 3433 of the 118th Congress.

 

Sec 5 of HR 1262

Reauthorization of Rare Pediatric Priority Review Voucher Program through FY 2029 to incentivize the development of drugs for rare pediatric diseases.  This program has expired despite bringing 60 new drugs for kids to market.  This provision is from the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, HR 4439, of the 118th Congress.

 

Sec 3 of HR 1262

Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act: Provides the FDA the same authority to enforce against companies that do not complete their pediatric study requirements as the FDA has to enforce against companies that do not complete other post market study requirements.  This provision is from part of the Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act, HR 6664, of the 118th Congress.

 

Sec 6 of HR 1262

RARE Act: Clarification that Orphan Drug Exclusivity applies to the approved indication rather than the potentially broader designation.  This provision is from the RARE Act, HR 7382, of the 118th Congress.

 

Sec 8 of HR 1262

Organ Procurement:  Provides for the collection of fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to support the operation.   This provision is from the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act, HR 2544, of the 118th Congress.

 

Sec 9 of HR 1262

FDA Office: The FDA shall establish an office in an Abraham Accord country.  This provision is from the United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act of 2024, HR 7155, of the 118th Congress.

For more information, please contact: (McCaul) Teddy.Dubuque@mail.house.gov    

Rep Michael McCaul's Press Release Reintroducing Give Kids a Chance Act