Sponsors (75)
Introduced February 11, 2025 by Jim Costa · Last progress February 11, 2025
The bill centralizes and coordinates federal efforts to improve care, outcomes, and research for people with epilepsy—boosting transparency and patient representation—while increasing federal costs, administrative obligations, potential privacy risks, and creating some long‑term funding uncertainty due to a 2035 sunset.
People with epilepsy and their caregivers will benefit from a coordinated national plan that improves prevention, earlier diagnosis, care coordination, access to specialized care, and advances research toward better treatments and a cure.
Taxpayers and the public will get greater federal transparency and accountability through centralized coordination and annual assessments of federal investments and progress on epilepsy.
Patients, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers will have their perspectives and expertise represented through an expert Advisory Council to guide policy and research priorities.
Taxpayers could face higher federal spending to implement the National Plan, potentially increasing costs or requiring reallocation from other programs.
Federal reporting and coordination requirements may increase administrative burden on HHS and other agencies and on health systems, diverting staff time from frontline services.
A 2035 sunset date creates uncertainty for researchers and patients who rely on sustained, multi‑decade commitments for long-term research and services.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal, coordinated national plan and advisory council to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research, and services for people with epilepsy, with regular public assessments.
Creates a federally led, coordinated national plan to prevent, diagnose, treat, and ultimately cure epilepsy. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and update an integrated national strategy, produce regular public assessments with priority recommendations, coordinate federal research and services, encourage new treatments and quality‑of‑life strategies, and convene an advisory council of federal and non‑federal stakeholders to guide implementation. Sets deadlines for an initial assessment within two years of enactment and annual progress reports thereafter, requires public input and international coordination, and establishes regular public meetings and biennial stakeholder convenings; the text defines the advisory council’s membership categories and meeting frequency but does not appropriate specific funds.