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Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act

Public Law 117-79 · H.R. 3537 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 23, 2021 · Health

Sponsor: Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-5)

Cosponsors (331): Rep. Jeff Fortenberry,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 423 yea, 3 nay423–3
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act

This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities for scientific research utilizing data from expanded access to investigational ALS treatments for individuals who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.

The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress about the grants provided under this bill, including an analysis of the impact of such grants on research and development of treatments for ALS.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 423 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

423 yea3 nay7 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(217)

Republicans who voted yea(206)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 414 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 1813Identical bill

    Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. Dec 23, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-79.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 17, 2021FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Dec 16, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Dec 9, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Dec 8, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 3 (Roll no. 415).House roll call 415
  9. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  10. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3537.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 148.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 117-207.
  16. Nov 17, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  18. Nov 4, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  20. May 26, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  21. May 25, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.