S-1994 : Still Just a Bill

The Counting Veterans' Cancer Act of 2023, also known as S. 1994, aims to improve care for veterans by ensuring comprehensive data collection on cancer diagnoses within the veteran population. Key provisions of the bill include:

• Mandatory Data Sharing: Requires Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities to share cancer-related data with State cancer registries.
• Compliance Standards: Mandates the VA to adhere to the same data reporting standards as non-VA facilities, ensuring complete and timely submissions to State registries.
• Data Reciprocity: Encourages State cancer registries to share cancer diagnosis data of veterans with the VA, within the bounds of State laws.

The intended outcomes of this legislation are to:

• Enhance the accuracy of cancer statistics by including previously unreported veteran cases.
• Facilitate better understanding of cancer trends and disparities within the veteran community.
• Improve the planning and efficacy of cancer screening, treatment programs, and clinical trials for veterans.