The "Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2025" authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a cerebral palsy research program within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allocating $5,000,000 annually from 2026-2031 for research, public health monitoring, and professional training.
Steve Cohen
Representative
TN-9
The "Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2025" aims to improve the lives of individuals affected by cerebral palsy through increased research. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, via the CDC Director, to establish a comprehensive cerebral palsy research program focusing on diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and public health monitoring. It also allows for technical assistance to public and private entities and mandates evaluation of the program's effectiveness. The bill authorizes $5,000,000 annually from 2026-2031 for these activities.
Bill Proposes $5 Million Yearly Boost for CDC Cerebral Palsy Research Starting 2026
This bill, titled the "Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2025," directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, working through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish a dedicated research program focused on cerebral palsy (CP). It authorizes $5 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to fund activities aimed at improving understanding and management of the condition, which the bill notes affects about 1 in 345 children in the U.S.
Focusing the Research Lens
The core of the bill amends the Public Health Service Act to mandate this new research program. According to Section 3, the CDC's efforts would need to cover several key areas: digging into better ways to diagnose and treat CP, identifying factors that could potentially lower CP rates and associated costs (both healthcare and societal), improving public health monitoring of the condition, and boosting education for both health professionals and the public. Think updated diagnostic criteria, exploring potential preventative measures, tracking prevalence more accurately, and ensuring doctors and families have the latest information. The bill also allows the Secretary to provide technical backup to non-profits working on similar research goals.
Funding the Search for Answers
To make this happen, the legislation authorizes $5 million annually for six fiscal years, starting in 2026 and running through 2031. It’s important to remember this is an authorization – the actual money still needs to be allocated by Congress each year through the appropriations process. Critically, the bill requires the Secretary to evaluate how effective these activities are. This isn't just a box-checking exercise; the evaluation must specifically look at the impact across different demographic groups, aiming to ensure the benefits of the research reach diverse populations affected by CP.
Why This Matters: Connecting Research to Reality
The push for this dedicated program stems from the significant impact of CP, as outlined in the bill's findings. It highlights that CP is the most common lifelong motor impairment in children, affecting over a million Americans, with causes often unknown and significant co-occurring conditions like epilepsy or learning disabilities common. The bill points to steep lifetime care costs (estimated over $13.5 billion for those born in 2000 alone) and productivity losses. This research funding represents a targeted federal effort to address these knowledge gaps and cost drivers, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, and a better understanding of prevention for families navigating life with cerebral palsy.