Congress funds endometriosis research and equity study for millions of patients

What it does

This bill directs the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services to fund research, data collection, and public education about endometriosis—a chronic disease affecting millions of people, predominantly women, that causes severe pain and infertility. It authorizes $54.5 million over five years (2026–2030) to study barriers to treatment, develop better therapies, educate patients and doctors, and examine disparities in diagnosis and care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

Why we flagged it

The bill is a straightforward public-health authorization that funds NIH research, HHS data collection, and patient/provider education on a chronic disease. It contains no regulatory changes, tax provisions, or industry carve-outs—only appropriations and agency directives.

What the text implies

• The bill requires health insurers and state Medicaid programs to report data on endometriosis treatment access, which may increase administrative burden on insurers but will create the first comprehensive national picture of treatment barriers and disparities.
• By mandating a National Academies study on endometriosis disparities across race, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, and gender identity, the bill may surface systemic inequities in diagnosis and care that could later drive policy or regulatory changes.
• The public education program's focus on 'culturally and linguistically appropriate support' for mental health impacts suggests recognition that endometriosis carries psychological burden often unaddressed in standard medical care.

Who it affects

Ordinary people with endometriosis gain access to better research, clearer information about treatment options, and data-driven insights into why some groups face barriers to care. The bill funds public health infrastructure with no apparent private carve-outs or hidden costs to taxpayers beyond the stated appropriations.

Who stands to gain

• NIH and HHS (research and administrative funding)
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (study contract)
• nonprofit organizations and consumer groups (dissemination partnerships)

Named in the bill

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), State Medicaid programs, Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), health insurance issuers, health care professional societies

Where it stands

27 cosponsors: 27 Democrats.

• Dec 11, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Dec 11, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Mar 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $70,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 1 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Nikema Williams, the sponsor, reported $431,250 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Endometriosis Foundation of America — $70,000 on 3 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 1, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.