SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2025

The SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2025 (HR2381) was introduced on March 26, 2025 by Rep. Morelle (D-NY) with 57 cosponsors. It reauthorizes the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, expanding the program's scope. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and is in early legislative stage. A companion bill (S1866) has also been introduced in the Senate, increasing the probability of eventual passage. The money trail: This is an authorization bill — it sets policy and spending ceilings, but does NOT appropriate actual money. Actual funding requires a separate HHS appropriations bill. However, NBCCEDP is a well-established program (created 1991) with bipartisan support, having served 6.4M+ people and provided 16.5M+ screening exams. Reauthorization signals continued federal commitment to cancer screening, which directly benefits the two dominant national lab processors: Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics. The bill text does not specify a new spending ceiling amount, so the incremental revenue will depend on the actual appropriations level. The market data shows $LH down 4.79% and $DGX down 4.39% over the past 7 days as of the most recent data, but this reflects broader market weakness (HCA, a hospital operator, has dropped 9.61% over 30 days). The recent selloff is not bill-specific. Labcorp actually recovered 2.76% on April 30 alone, closing at $264.23 after hitting a 7-day low of $257.14 on April 29. Quest hit $189.32 on April 29 and bounced back to $195.46 on April 30. The timeline: The bill must pass the House Energy and Commerce Committee, then the full House, then the Senate (where companion bill S1866 is pending), then be signed into law. Given the bipartisan nature of cancer screening programs, passage in the current Congress is likely but not guaranteed. Actual revenue impact for lab companies will lag by 12-24 months, as appropriations and state program expansions take time.