Early this morning, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed its fiscal year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) funding bill, and included in the legislation is $23 million in dedicated funding for lupus programs.
This is a result of the tireless efforts of lupus advocates across the country. From letter writing to in-person meetings during the August district work period and throughout the year, including at our National Lupus Advocacy Summit, people living with lupus made their voices heard and demonstrated the need for these programs.
The legislation includes $20 million for the National Lupus Patient Registry at the CDC, effectively doubling its budget. The registry is critical for tracking the real-world impact of lupus, improving diagnosis, and informing better treatment options. Additionally, the bill provides $3 million for the National Lupus Training, Outreach, and Clinical Trial Education Program at the HHS Office of Minority Health, increasing training on the importance of lupus clinical trial education.
Congress has until September 30, which is the end of fiscal year 2025, to finalize the fiscal year 2026 funding bills. If that deadline passes without agreement, a short-term funding bill may be needed to keep the government running. That means the LHHS bill – including these critical lupus investments – still needs to be approved by the full House and Senate and then reconciled into a final version.
These lupus programs have clear bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, and the Lupus Foundation of America will continue to work with our champions to showcase the importance of these programs. Thank you to our Congressional champions and our advocates. We will continue to make lupus a national priority.
This post was originally published on this site