AACC Secures Congressional Support for Harmonization in House Appropriations Report Language

On July 14, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies fiscal year 2017 spending bill, which funds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Included in the accompanying report is a request that CDC describe ongoing and planned efforts for the harmonization of clinical laboratory test results in its 2018 budget submission.  This a major step forward for AACC’s harmonization advocacy strategy and is the culmination of months of collaborative effort. 

The congressional language opens the door wide for making harmonization part of next year’s budget deliberations.  This language builds off an earlier 2014 AACC-backed congressional recommendation that urged CDC to partner with the private sector in harmonizing clinical laboratory tests results.  AACC and its allies (see box) worked closely with Representative Kevin Yoder (R-KS), a key member of the committee, who succeeded in getting the new language included in the final bill.  The Association also utilized its grassroots network, resulting in emails being sent to Appropriation members in support of the effort.  The next step is for the bill to be voted on by the full House.  AACC is continuing its efforts to obtain federal funding for harmonization.