POPCaP Authorization Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8553 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8553

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a precision
  oncology program for cancer of the prostate, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2026

Mr. Murphy (for himself and Mr. Conaway) introduced the following bill;
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a precision
  oncology program for cancer of the prostate, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Precision Oncology Program for
Cancer of the Prostate Authorization Act of 2026'' or the ``POPCaP
Authorization Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PRECISION ONCOLOGY PROGRAM FOR CANCER OF THE
              PROSTATE.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7330E Precision oncology program for cancer of the prostate
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a precision
oncology program for cancer of the prostate (in this section, referred
to as the `Program') at the Department in accordance with this section.
In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) shall designate Centers of Excellence in accordance
        with subsection (d); and
            ``(2) maintain the Program Leadership team under subsection
        (g).
    ``(b) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible to enroll in additional
medical services through the Program if such veteran is enrolled in the
patient enrollment system under section 1705 of this title and has a
diagnosis of prostate cancer or non-prostate genitourinary cancer.
    ``(c) Requirements of Centers of Excellence.--(1) Each Center of
Excellence designated under this section shall carry out the following
activities:
            ``(A) Establishing a program of genetic sequencing for
        veterans with advanced prostate cancer.
            ``(B) Implementing the uniform genetic sequencing platform
        developed by the Program Leadership under subsection (g)(3)(H)
        to allow for coordination among Centers.
            ``(C) Participating in the Telemedicine Tumor Board of the
        Program.
            ``(D) Participating in the prostate cancer registry
        maintained by the Program Leadership under subsection (g)(3)(E)
        to track relevant genetic mutations.
            ``(E) Providing travel support to eligible veterans with
        such mutations to facilitate access to studies.
            ``(F) Developing biomarker-specific clinical trials.
            ``(G) Participating in industry-sponsored precision
        oncology studies.
            ``(H) Participating in monthly calls and not less than
        three in-person meetings per year with the Program Leadership
        to assess progress.
            ``(I) Providing ongoing reporting to the Program Leadership
        regarding trial accrual and research conducted by the Center.
            ``(J) Establishing metastasis biopsy capability.
            ``(K) Extending resources to affiliated medical centers in
        the Veterans Integrated Service Network in which the Center is
        located.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that each Center designated under
the Program employs, at a minimum--
            ``(A) a medical oncologist;
            ``(B) an interventional radiologist;
            ``(C) a urologist;
            ``(D) a radiation oncologist;
            ``(E) a pathologist; and
            ``(F) two full-time equivalent research staff members.
    ``(d) Designation of Centers of Excellence.--(1) The Secretary may
designate additional medical facilities as Centers of Excellence.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that not fewer than 21 medical
facilities are designated as Centers of Excellence under this section
at all times.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that at least one medical facility
in each Veterans Integrated Service Network is designated as a Center
of Excellence under this section.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall ensure that not fewer than seven of the
Centers of Excellence designated under this section have a
genitourinary program.
    ``(5) Effective on the date of the enactment of this section, the
following medical facilities shall be designated as Centers of
Excellence for the Program:
            ``(A) The Seattle VA Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.
            ``(B) The James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx,
        New York.
            ``(C) The Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical
        Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
            ``(D) The Margaret Cochran Corbin Manhattan VA Medical
        Center in Manhattan, New York.
            ``(E) The Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs
        Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.
            ``(F) The West Los Angeles VA Medical Center in Los
        Angeles, California.
            ``(G) The Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in
        Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
            ``(H) The Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, North
        Carolina.
            ``(I) The Washington DC VA Medical Center in Washington,
        District of Columbia.
            ``(J) The James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa,
        Florida.
            ``(K) The Portland VA Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.
            ``(L) The Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center in Boston,
        Massachusetts.
            ``(M) The San Francisco VA Medical Center in San Francisco,
        California.
            ``(N) The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs
        Medical Center in Houston, Texas.
            ``(O) The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in
        Aurora, Colorado.
            ``(P) The John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis,
        Missouri.
            ``(Q) The Kansas City VA Medical Center in Kansas City,
        Missouri.
            ``(R) The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center
        in Decatur, Georgia.
            ``(S) The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston,
        South Carolina.
            ``(T) The Orlando VA Medical Center in Orlando, Florida.
            ``(U) The Baltimore VA Medical Center in Baltimore,
        Maryland.
            ``(V) The John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital in
        Little Rock, Arkansas.
            ``(W) The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital
        in Madison, Wisconsin.
            ``(X) The Minneapolis VA Medical Center in Minneapolis,
        Minnesota.
            ``(Y) The George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs
        Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
            ``(Z) The Carl T. Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical
        Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
            ``(AA) The Dallas VA Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
            ``(BB) The Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs
        Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.
    ``(6) For purposes of complying with the minimum number of Centers
of Excellence under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall count any
towards the minimum number any medical facility designated under
paragraph (5) and not terminated under subsection (e).
    ``(e) Termination of Designation.--(1) Each Center of Excellence
designated under subsection (d) shall remain so designated for not less
than five years, unless the Secretary terminates such designation in
accordance with this subsection.
    ``(2) Not earlier than January 1, 2030, the Secretary may terminate
the designation of a medical facility as a Center of Excellence under
this section if the Secretary determines the facility is failing to
meet the requirements in subsection (c).
    ``(3) Before terminating the designation of a medical facility, the
Secretary shall--
            ``(A) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the
        Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
        and the Senate a notice of the intent to terminate such
        designation; and
            ``(B) wait for a period of 60 days following the date of
        the submission of such notice.
    ``(f) Performance Review.--(1) In 2030 and each year thereafter,
the Secretary shall review the performance of not more than seven
Centers of Excellence.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the performance of each
Center of Excellence is reviewed only once in a five year period.
    ``(3) By the date of the submission of the annual report described
in subsection (f) in 2035 and every fifth year thereafter, the
Secretary shall ensure the performance of each Center of Excellence has
been reviewed.
    ``(4) Each performance review under this subsection shall assess
whether the performance of the Center of Excellence in providing the
services required under subsection (c) is adequate to justify the
continued designation of the facility as a Center of Excellence under
this section.
    ``(g) Program Leadership Team.--(1) The Secretary shall establish a
Program Leadership team located at the Seattle VA Medical Center in
Seattle, Washington, which shall remain designated as a Center of
Excellence until at least 2033.
    ``(2) If the Secretary terminates the designation of the Seattle VA
Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, as a Center of Excellence under
subsection (e), the Secretary shall select another Center to serve as
the location of the Program Leadership team.
    ``(3) The Program Leadership team shall include, at a minimum, an
Executive Director, a Clinical Director, and a Research Director, who
shall be employees of the medical center at which the Program
Leadership team is located.
    ``(4) The Program Leadership team shall--
            ``(A) provide strategic liaison services with sponsors and
        prospective sponsors of clinical trials to ensure engagement by
        the Department with study design and participation;
            ``(B) coordinate participation by the Department in
        prostate cancer group studies sponsored by the National Cancer
        Institute;
            ``(C) facilitate the development of study concepts,
        designs, and start-up with researchers of the Department with
        limited clinical trial experience;
            ``(D) create and execute a model for hybrid decentralized
        clinical trials to be used by Centers of Excellence when
        conducting trials, including remote research coordination,
        regulatory start-up and maintenance, data management, and
        Institutional Review Board approval;
            ``(E) create and maintain a publicly available prostate
        cancer registry and data repository of the Department;
            ``(F) establish and maintain relevant working groups of
        experts of the Department;
            ``(G) host at least monthly calls and at least three in-
        person meetings per year with a representative of each Center
        for Excellence to assess progress; and
            ``(H) develop a uniform genetic sequencing platform to be
        implemented by each Center of Excellence to allow for
        coordination among such Centers.
    ``(5) The Executive Director shall--
            ``(A) provide administrative leadership to the Program in
        partnership with the Clinical Director;
            ``(B) develop, execute, and monitor a national strategic
        plan for the Program; and
            ``(C) serve as the liaison to leadership of the Department
        and Centers of Excellence.
    ``(6) The Clinical Director shall--
            ``(A) oversee the Program to ensure eligible veterans
        receive access to care based on the latest research;
            ``(B) develop and implement strategies for Program growth,
        quality improvement, and patient satisfaction;
            ``(C) serve on the review committee of the Program for
        clinical trials conducted by Centers of Excellence to ensure
        studies are conducted ethically and efficiently; and
            ``(D) serve as the liaison with stakeholders to integrate
        clinical services and research.
    ``(7) The Research Director shall--
            ``(A) provide leadership on national research objectives;
            ``(B) serve on committees to review new research concepts
        and projects developed by Centers of Excellence;
            ``(C) maintain an understanding of current research and
        emerging technologies in prostate cancer; and
            ``(D) interact with stakeholders, including regulatory
        agencies, study sponsors, and research institutions, to improve
        prostate cancer research conducted by the Department.
    ``(h) Annual Report.--(1) Not later than March 1 of each year, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Senate a report on the Program. Each such report shall include, for the
year covered by the report--
            ``(A) the funding levels for each Center of Excellence;
            ``(B) the number of veterans participating the Program;
            ``(C) the number of researchers and providers participating
        in the Program;
            ``(D) the number of publications relating to prostate
        cancer by researchers and providers of the Department;
            ``(E) the number of clinical research studies supported by
        the Program;
            ``(F) the number of veterans enrolled in such clinical
        research studies;
            ``(G) the five-year survival rate of veterans enrolled in
        clinical research studies of the Program compared to other
        veterans and civilians with prostate cancer;
            ``(H) the five-year survival rate of veterans with non-
        prostate genitourinary cancers enrolled in clinical research
        studies of the Program at genitourinary centers compared to
        that of other veterans and civilians with non-prostate
        genitourinary cancers; and
            ``(I) an estimate of (A) through (G) for the upcoming year.
    ``(2) In 2029, the report required in this subsection shall include
a comprehensive plan for the designation and operation of the Centers
of Excellence under this section, including a timeline for the
performance evaluations, performance criteria to be used in
evaluations, and the process for selecting Centers.
    ``(3) In 2031 and each year thereafter, the report required in this
subsection shall include, for the year covered by the report, the
results of the performance reviews conducted under subsection (f) and a
determination by the Secretary regarding whether each Center of
Excellence reviewed that year meets the criteria for continued
designation as a Center of Excellence.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $15,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to
the Secretary to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7330D the following new item:

``7330E. Precision oncology program for cancer of the prostate.''.
    (c) Functions and Funding of Centers of Excellence.--
            (1) Functions.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not
        remove from any medical facility designated as a Center of
        Excellence under section 7330D of title 38, United States Code,
        any staff, program, or function relating to prostate cancer
        that was in effect on January 1, 2023, until January 1, 2030.
            (2) Funding.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not
        reduce funding provided to such Centers of Excellence below the
        total amount provided by public and private sources in effect
        on January 1, 2023, until January 1, 2030.
    (d) Deadline.--The program required by section 7330E of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be established by
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a plan
for the implementation of section 7330E of title 38, United States
Code, as added by section 2. Such plan shall include--
            (1) a description of staffing requirements at each Center
        of Excellence designated under such section;
            (2) a description of any contracting requirements necessary
        to fulfill the requirements of such section;
            (3) a plan for the development of the uniform sequencing
        platform required under subsection (g)(3)(H) of such section;
            (4) a description of the development of the prostate cancer
        registry and data repository under subsection (g)(3)(E) of such
        section;
            (5) a plan for coordination with the Central Institutional
        Review Board; and
            (6) a description of anticipated funding levels for the
        ten-year period beginning on the date of the submission of the
        plan.
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