Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5536

Congress Proposes New National Initiative to Improve Research and Care for Migraines and Headache Disorders

HEADACHE Act

6 months ago·View on Congress.gov

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill creates a new national program to tackle the medical and economic impact of headache disorders, including migraines, cluster headaches, and those caused by long COVID.
It aims to help millions of Americans by training more specialized doctors and researchers and improving how these conditions are diagnosed and treated.
The plan focuses on making care more equal for everyone, especially for groups that often struggle to get help, like children, pregnant women, and older adults.
A new advisory council made up of experts and patients would meet regularly to guide the government on the best ways to fund research and lower the costs of care.
The government would have to release a report every year showing how much progress they are making in finding new treatments and reducing the social stigma around these conditions.

Healthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

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

Broader Impacts

DomainScoreShort-termLong-termReversibilityConfidence

Score

Scores: -5 (harmful) to +5 (beneficial)Short-term: 0-2 yearsLong-term: 10-30 years

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Sep 19, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Sep 19, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

5 years after enactment

The entire initiative sunsets (expires) 5 years after enactment

All programs and the advisory council created by this bill would end unless Congress acts to renew them, meaning any progress made could be lost without follow-up legislation.

Related News

4 articles

InsideSources·9 months ago

Migraine Is More Than Pain, It's a Public Health Crisis

This article advocates for the HEADACHE Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at creating a national strategy for headache disorders. It highlights the economic toll of $78 billion annually and the need for increased research funding, specialized care, and equitable insurance practices.

C+

My Buckhannon·9 months ago

West Virginia marks Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

Local coverage of the 'Flags for Headache' installation on the National Mall, which served as a call to action for the introduction of the HEADACHE Act. The article details how the bill aims to expand research and improve access to care for the 40 million Americans with headache disorders.

Migraine Science Collaborative·9 months ago

Flags for Headache: Raising Awareness and Building Momentum for Policy Change

A detailed report on the 30,000-flag installation at the National Mall used to build momentum for the HEADACHE Act. It features an interview with advocacy leaders and discusses the bill's goals to authorize a national headache disorders initiative within HHS.