STOP Neglected Diseases of Poverty Act
Creates federal programs to track, prevent, diagnose, and treat neglected diseases of poverty in the United States.
In the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee since Sept. 24, 2026, 14 days after it was introduced. Most bills never leave committee.
- INTRODUCEDINTROSEP 24, 2026
- COMMITTEECOMM.IN COMMITTEE
- SENATESENATE—
- HOUSEHOUSE—
- LAWLAW—
What the bill would do, and why it matters
Neglected diseases of poverty can be difficult to detect and can cause serious health problems. The bill would coordinate federal work on these diseases in the United States, support state tracking and health-center programs, and expand education and research. It would also allow support for nonprofit research centers.
- INTRODUCED ONLY This bill has been introduced and possibly referred to a committee, but it has not passed any vote. Most introduced bills never become law — they die in committee without a hearing.
- DATA NOTE No Congressional Research Service summary was available.
- Create an interagency task force
The Secretary of Health and Human Services would establish a task force to advise the Secretary and Congress on preventing, treating, and diagnosing neglected diseases of poverty in the United States. It would study the diseases’ prevalence, distribution, disparities, risks, available tools, and economic burden, and develop goals, guidelines, and recommendations.
- Fund state disease surveillance
The Secretary, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would award grants to states to track the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of these diseases. The task force’s initial report would help identify and prioritize high-risk locations and communities.
- Support care at health centers
The Secretary would award grants or cooperative agreements to federally qualified health centers to put the task force’s medical guidelines into practice and assess them. Initial awards would prioritize centers in locations identified as having high prevalence or populations at greatest risk.
- Expand education and research
The Secretary would develop educational programs for health care and public health workers and the public. The bill would also support research into affordable treatments, vaccines, diagnostics, and tools to reduce mosquito and other disease-spreading vectors.
- Establish research centers of excellence
The Secretary, working through the National Institutes of Health, could support nonprofit public or private entities with a record of research on these diseases to establish or strengthen centers. Grants or agreements could support research, training, surveillance, patient care needed for research, and public education; support could last up to five years, with possible extensions of up to five years at a time after peer review.
The bill cites gaps in awareness, reporting, and surveillance as reasons the exact U.S. burden of these diseases is unknown. It also cites limited funding and shortages of effective diagnostics, treatments, vaccines, and other tools.
The bill’s findings say early screening and treatment could prevent much of the financial and health burden on affected people and communities. Its proposed work would focus on identifying where needs are greatest and improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Written from the bill text.
The path it took, step by step
- IntroducedSEP 24, 2026SENATESEP 24, 2026By Sen. BookerReferred to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- SAME DAYNOWSenate committeeSEP 24, 2026HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, & PENSIONS NOWSEP 24, 2026In committee for 14 daysNo hearing yet
- 14 DAYS SO FARPassed the Senate—SENATE FLOOR—Not scheduled
- House committee—HOUSE—
- Passed the House—HOUSE FLOOR—Not scheduled
- Resolve differencesONLY IF NEEDEDBOTH CHAMBERSONLY IF NEEDEDSkipped if the other chamber passes the same text
- Signed into law—PRESIDENT—10 days to sign or veto
- SEP 242026SEP 24, 2026REFERREDRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- SEP 242026SEP 24, 2026INTRODUCEDSENATEIntroduced in Senate
At day 14, this bill is already older than 3% of the laws passed this Congress were when they were signed.
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