Los Angeles – – September 29, 2026 -- Congress has passed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026 (H.R. 8205), sending the bipartisan bill to the President's desk just two days before the underlying program was set to expire on September 30, 2026.
Senate approval follows House passage, clearing the path for a presidential signature
The legislation cleared the U.S. House of Representatives before the Senate gave final approval, moving the bill to the President for signature. Once enacted, the law will extend core ACT for ALS programs through 2031, continuing federal support for ALS research infrastructure and expanded access to investigational therapies.
Bipartisan sponsors in both chambers drove the reauthorization effort
Representatives Mike Quigley and Ken Calvert led the House effort, while Senators Lisa Murkowski and Chris Coons championed the bill in the Senate. The reauthorization sustains funding mechanisms for natural history and biomarker research, shared data resources, and coordination across the ALS research community.
ALS Network engaged directly with lawmakers throughout the legislative process
ALS Network provided policy recommendations, brought advocates to Capitol Hill, and participated in congressional briefings supporting the reauthorization. Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, president and CEO of ALS Network, joined congressional champions at a Capitol Hill press conference to press for timely action ahead of the expiration deadline.
"Final congressional passage is a major win for people living with ALS and their families, and a testament to what sustained, collective advocacy can accomplish," Strahl said, crediting advocates whose persistence helped carry the legislation to passage.
Reauthorization prevents disruption to expanded-access and research programs
ACT for ALS established a patient-centered framework covering two priorities: advancing ALS research and expanding access to investigational therapies for patients unable to join traditional clinical trials. The law also supports work benefiting people with other rare neurodegenerative diseases, extending its impact beyond ALS alone.
With the authorization set to lapse on September 30, 2026, the timing of final passage averts a gap in evidence-generating expanded access and shared research infrastructure that the ALS research community depends on.