American Cures Act
Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced
Summary
Multi-year, CPI‑adjusted funding for federal biomedical research would be established to expand and sustain investment in health science. This bill would set fixed annual appropriations for NIH, CDC, Department of Defense research, and VA medical and prosthetics research for 2027–2036 and index those amounts to inflation thereafter.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More CDC public health funding
If enacted, the bill would appropriate specified annual amounts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for FY2027–FY2036: FY2027 $9,911,621,307; FY2028 $10,674,816,148; FY2029 $11,496,776,991; FY2030 $12,382,028,819; FY2031 $13,335,445,038; FY2032 $14,362,274,306; FY2033 $15,468,169,428; FY2034 $16,659,218,474; FY2035 $17,941,978,296; and FY2036 $19,323,510,625. For FY2037 and each year after, the CDC amount would equal the prior fiscal year’s amount increased by the prior‑year CPI‑U percentage change (if any). The funds would apply to the CDC appropriations accounts that support its institutes, offices, and centers.
More military medical research funding
If enacted, the bill would appropriate specified annual amounts to the Department of Defense health program’s research, development, test, and evaluation (RDTE) accounts for FY2027–FY2036: FY2027 $2,939,358,093; FY2028 $3,165,688,666; FY2029 $3,409,451,694; FY2030 $3,671,979,474; FY2031 $3,954,721,894; FY2032 $4,259,235,480; FY2033 $4,587,196,612; FY2034 $4,940,412,751; FY2035 $5,320,824,534; and FY2036 $5,730,508,023. For FY2037 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount would equal the prior fiscal year’s amount increased by the prior‑year CPI‑U percentage change (if any). The funds would target DoD health RDTE appropriations accounts.
More NIH research funding
If enacted, the bill would appropriate multi‑year funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from Treasury funds not otherwise appropriated. It lists exact annual amounts for FY2027–FY2036: FY2027 $52,467,132,000; FY2028 $56,507,101,164; FY2029 $60,858,147,954; FY2030 $65,544,225,346; FY2031 $70,591,130,698; FY2032 $76,026,647,762; FY2033 $81,880,699,640; FY2034 $88,185,513,512; FY2035 $94,975,798,052; and FY2036 $102,288,934,502. For FY2037 and each fiscal year after that, the NIH amount would equal the prior fiscal year’s amount increased by the prior‑year percentage change (if any) in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI‑U). The money would be for the NIH institutes, centers, and offices covered by NIH appropriations accounts.
More VA medical research funding
If enacted, the bill would appropriate specified annual amounts to the Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research program for FY2027–FY2036: FY2027 $1,071,765,000; FY2028 $1,096,132,905; FY2029 $1,180,535,138; FY2030 $1,271,436,344; FY2031 $1,369,336,942; FY2032 $1,474,775,887; FY2033 $1,588,333,630; FY2034 $1,710,636,320; FY2035 $1,842,355,321; and FY2036 $1,984,218,681. For FY2037 and later, the amount would equal the prior fiscal year’s amount increased by the prior‑year CPI‑U percentage change (if any). The funds would support VA appropriations accounts for medical and prosthetics research.
Protections for biomedical research funding
If enacted, the bill would protect and clarify how the new research appropriations are treated. It would add 'Appropriations under the American Cures Act' to the list of items exempt from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, applying to any sequestration order issued on or after enactment. The bill would also say that the section’s budgetary effects should not be entered on statutory PAYGO scorecards or Senate PAYGO scorecards. It would define which agency appropriations accounts are covered and state that the appropriations made in the section remain available until expended.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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