Policy Archive
EARLY Act Brings Young Breast Cancer to Forefront
The Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 (EARLY Act), HR 1740, was introduced by Representative Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), a breast cancer survivor who carries a BRCA2 mutation. FORCE participated in a coalition of groups providing guidance on the proposed legislation.
Passed as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, the EARLY Act authorized a nationwide awareness and support campaign for women age 45 and under, including high-risk women, breast cancer survivors, and their doctors. The law also includes broad-reaching public and healthcare professional education campaigns, prevention research, and additional support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Initially funded for five years, the EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2014 was passed on December 28, 2014.
Since that time, the initiative has brought about a number of programs including the CDC's Bring Your Brave Campaign and Program Support for Survivor Organizations—including the FORCE XRAY Program, among other activities.
News Briefs
02/25/2025 - Called on Congress to prioritize robust funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the FY2025 appropriations bill and to preserve protections against reimbursement cuts for NIH grantee Facilities and Administrative costs.
02/24/2025 - Joined hundreds of orgs in thanking lawmakers for advancing the availability of healthcare through telehealth and asking congressional leaders to establish permanent or long-term telehealth access.
01/30/2025 - Urged the President to recognize March 2025 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and to light the White House blue to honor those we have lost and those fighting this disease.
Related Resources
- BREAST CANCER EDUCATION: HHS Has Implemented Initiatives Aimed at Young Women
- Background on Breast Cancer, Rep. Wasserman Schultz's Story, and the EARLY Act
- Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, established by the EARLY Act, this committee helps the CDC develop approaches to advance understanding and awareness of breast cancer among young women. FORCE is pleased to represent the hereditary cancer community on this advisory committee.
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