Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1189

Congress Proposes National Strategy to Coordinate Research and Cures for 3.4 Million Americans with Epilepsy

National Plan for Epilepsy Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Proposes National Plan and Advisory Council for Epilepsy

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

↔Companion bill: Congress moves to create a National Plan to coordinate epilepsy research, care, and federal reporting

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill, introduced in Congress, would create the first "National Plan for Epilepsy." The goal is to organize federal efforts to prevent, diagnose, and eventually cure the brain disorder. It requires the government to create a master plan that is updated regularly to keep up with new medical discoveries.
The plan focuses on helping the 3.4 million Americans living with epilepsy, including nearly 456,000 children. Because 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime, this policy aims to improve the quality of life for millions of families and caregivers who deal with the daily challenges of seizures.
A new Advisory Council would be formed to give the government expert advice. This group would include doctors and researchers, but also four people living with different types of epilepsy and two family caregivers. This ensures that the people actually living with the condition have a voice in how research and care are handled.
The policy addresses the high cost of the disorder, which currently totals more than $54 billion a year in the U.S. By coordinating research across agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the CDC, the government hopes to find better treatments for the 30% of patients whose seizures are not currently controlled by medicine.
Every year, the government would have to report to Congress on what progress has been made. These reports must include recommendations on how to reduce the financial burden on families and how to eliminate unfair differences in the quality of care people receive across the country.

Healthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 11, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Feb 11, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles

GV Wire·about 1 year ago

Costa Introduces Bill to Improve Epilepsy Care and Research

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) introduced the National Plan for Epilepsy Act to improve care, research, and public awareness. The bipartisan bill, co-led by Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), mandates that HHS develop a national plan and annually assess the program’s effectiveness for 3.4 million Americans.

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North Carolina Medical Society·about 1 year ago

Rep. Greg Murphy, MD with Updates from Eastern NC and Washington, DC

Rep. Greg Murphy, a physician and Co-Chair of the Epilepsy Caucus, discusses the re-introduction of the National Plan for Epilepsy Act. He emphasizes the bill’s bipartisan nature and its goal to improve patient outcomes and prioritize effective treatments for the 1 in 26 people affected.

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Seizing Life·10 months ago

Advocating for a National Plan for Epilepsy in Uncertain Times

Dr. Daniel Lowenstein discusses the push for a National Plan for Epilepsy. He explains that the act would require HHS to establish a coordinated federal effort for better outcomes, similar to national plans for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, while addressing disparities in care quality.

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