Klobuchar, Crapo Reauthorization for Young Women’s Breast Cancer Awareness Program Passes Senate

Since early detection of cancer is vital, the EARLY Act seeks to educate young women about breast cancer risk and prevention WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) released the following statements after the Senate passed their bipartisan Young Women’s Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Reauthorization Act of 2026 . About 16 percent of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States are in women younger than 50, who tend to have more aggressive cases of the disease and are often diagnosed at later stages. The Senate bill now heads to the House of Representatives. “We’ve come so far in the fight against breast cancer, but there is more we must do to ensure that all women — and especially women who are under the age of 45 and at high-risk — have the information and support they need to detect this deadly disease early on,” Klobuchar said. “Our bipartisan bill will help continue the important work of elevating breast cancer awareness while supporting critical research so that one day we can finally eradicate breast cancer. ” “Early detection and preventive care are critical to saving lives, improving treatment outcomes and reducing health care costs,” said Crapo. “The EARLY Act strengthens important education and awareness efforts that help women understand their risks and seek care sooner, giving more families the opportunity for better outcomes and more time with their loved ones.” “Early detection remains one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce the burden of breast cancer. Senate passage of the EARLY Act brings this critical legislation closer to becoming law and helps ensure that young women with —or at risk of developing— breast cancer continue to have access to potentially lifesaving education, support and resources,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “ACS CAN is especially grateful to Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Crapo for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to advancing this bill. Reauthorizing the EARLY Act will address the unique challenges young patients face as it strengthens efforts to raise awareness, promote early detection and improve outcomes.” The bill reauthorizes the federal Bring Your Brave campaign to educate women younger than 45 about breast cancer through real stories, encourage them to learn their family health history, and take action to lower their risk of breast cancer. To date, Bring Your Brave has had over 231 million social media impressions, 12.4 million video views, and 2 million social engagements, and has driven over 2.9 million people to the Bring Your Brave website. The program also helps to create support systems by connecting breast cancer survivors with young women who are at high-risk for breast cancer or who have already been diagnosed. The program has led to increased training and education of family medicine health care providers, specifically in managing the care of patients with a higher risk of hereditary cancer. ###