This legislation mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a comprehensive precision oncology program for veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer or non-prostate genitourinary cancer. The program aims to provide advanced, personalized care by integrating genetic sequencing, clinical trials, and specialized medical services across the Department of Veterans Affairs. A central component of this initiative is the designation of at least 21 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) across the Veterans Integrated Service Networks, with specific staffing requirements and a mandate for at least seven CoEs to have genitourinary programs. These CoEs will be responsible for establishing genetic sequencing programs for veterans with advanced prostate cancer, implementing a uniform genetic sequencing platform, participating in a Telemedicine Tumor Board, and developing biomarker-specific clinical trials. The bill also establishes a Program Leadership team , initially located at the Seattle VA Medical Center, comprising Executive, Clinical, and Research Directors. This team will coordinate participation in National Cancer Institute studies, facilitate clinical trial development, create a model for hybrid decentralized clinical trials, and maintain a publicly available prostate cancer registry and data repository. They will also develop a uniform genetic sequencing platform for use by all CoEs. The Secretary is required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing program funding, veteran participation, research outcomes, and survival rates. An implementation plan must be submitted within 60 days of enactment, outlining staffing, contracting, and funding for the program. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $15,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to support these efforts.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
POPCaP Authorization Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-8553| House
| Updated: 4/28/2026
This legislation mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a comprehensive precision oncology program for veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer or non-prostate genitourinary cancer. The program aims to provide advanced, personalized care by integrating genetic sequencing, clinical trials, and specialized medical services across the Department of Veterans Affairs. A central component of this initiative is the designation of at least 21 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) across the Veterans Integrated Service Networks, with specific staffing requirements and a mandate for at least seven CoEs to have genitourinary programs. These CoEs will be responsible for establishing genetic sequencing programs for veterans with advanced prostate cancer, implementing a uniform genetic sequencing platform, participating in a Telemedicine Tumor Board, and developing biomarker-specific clinical trials. The bill also establishes a Program Leadership team , initially located at the Seattle VA Medical Center, comprising Executive, Clinical, and Research Directors. This team will coordinate participation in National Cancer Institute studies, facilitate clinical trial development, create a model for hybrid decentralized clinical trials, and maintain a publicly available prostate cancer registry and data repository. They will also develop a uniform genetic sequencing platform for use by all CoEs. The Secretary is required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing program funding, veteran participation, research outcomes, and survival rates. An implementation plan must be submitted within 60 days of enactment, outlining staffing, contracting, and funding for the program. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $15,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to support these efforts.