Give Kids a Chance Act, S 932, HR 1262

Senate Introduces Give Kids a Chance Act

House Passes the CR
Without Give Kids a Chance Act

Tuesday, March 12, 2025,

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.

Give Kids a Chance Act Reintroduced in the House of Representatives

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.

The Give Kids a Chance Act, S932, H1262, 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 bills 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, 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

One page summary of
Give Kids a Chance Act,
S 932 HR 1262

Unanimous Consent Request of December 20, 2024

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