Congress extends ALS research funding through 2031.

What it does

The bill keeps a federal program running. It gives money for research into ALS treatments. It adds new safety reporting rules for researchers. The program will also fund research into other rare brain diseases. The Department of Health and Human Services must write a report four years after the law starts.

Who it affects

Research hospitals and universities that get money are affected. Companies that make experimental medicines are affected. Scientists and doctors who run research projects are affected.

One thing to notice

The bill expands the program to cover other rare brain diseases beyond ALS. The bill adds new safety reporting rules that researchers must follow.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

15 cosponsors: 8 Democrats, 7 Republicans.

• Apr 30, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Apr 30, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”
• Jun 17, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature…”
• Aug 4, 2026 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S4425-4426; text: CR S4425-4426)”

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

Money around this bill

4 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 4 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $144,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 12 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 72% of bills with any report.

Lisa Murkowski, who sponsored the bill, received $357,300 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc. — $60,000 in 1 report
• I Am Als — $30,000 in 1 report
• The Als Association — $30,000 in 1 report
• Nrx Pharmaceuticals Inc (formerly Known As Neurorx) — $24,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• ALS — A serious disease that slowly weakens muscles in the body.
• safety reporting — Writing down and sharing information about whether a treatment is safe.
• federal program — A service or project run by the U.S. government.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.