I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6897 
To advance research, promote awareness and education, and improve health 
care, with respect to thyroid disease, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 18, 2025 
Ms. STEVENS (for herself and Ms. UNDERWOOD) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To advance research, promote awareness and education, and 
improve health care, with respect to thyroid disease, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Thyroid Disease Cov-
erage, Awareness, Research, and Education Act of 2025’’ 
or the ‘‘Thyroid Disease CARE Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. THYROID DISEASE RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine, shall— 
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(1) conduct or support research and related ac-
tivities regarding thyroid disease, including re-
search— 
(A) to investigate the root causes of thy-
roid disease; 
(B) to improve diagnostic techniques and 
develop improved treatments; 
(C) to improve thyroid cancer-related care, 
including the prevention, diagnosis, and treat-
ment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer; 
(D) to enhance the quality of thyroid can-
cer survivorship, including understanding how a 
thyroid cancer diagnosis impacts women of re-
productive years and beyond; 
(E) to understand the symptoms of pa-
tients treated for thyroid disease and to design 
studies to improve symptom management; 
(F) to assess— 
(i) thyroid disease prevalence, detec-
tion, treatment, and outcome disparties by 
race, ethnicity, geography, primary lan-
guage, sex, sexual orientation, gender iden-
tity, disability status, and insurance status, 
and related topics as determined by the 
Secretary; and 
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(ii) with respect to thyroid cancer pa-
tients, such disparities relating to primary 
tumor site, tumor morphology, stage at di-
agnosis, and first course of treatment; and 
(G) to study the effects of thyroid disease, 
including subclinical hypothyroidism, in patients 
who continue to experience symptoms despite 
their test results becoming normal; and 
(2) propose recommendations on how to address 
research gaps relating to disparities referred to in 
paragraph (1)(F). 
(b) INTERIM REPORT.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) not later than 24 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, transmit an interim report on 
the status and results of the research and related ac-
tivities under this section to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate; and 
(2) make such report publicly available. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
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SEC. 3. ANALYZING RESEARCH GAPS AND DISPROPOR-
TIONATE IMPACTS WITH RESPECT TO THY-
ROID DISEASE. 
(a) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) identify and analyze gaps in research on di-
agnosing and treating thyroid disease; 
(2) analyze— 
(A) the disproportionate impacts of thyroid 
disease on specific populations, disaggregated 
by race, ethnicity, geography, primary language, 
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, dis-
ability status, and insurance status, with a par-
ticular focus on such disproportionate impacts 
on women; 
(B) the reasons for the disproportionate 
impacts referred to in subparagraph (A) in such 
specific populations, including with respect to 
disproportionate access to specialized care; and 
(C) the level of knowledge of health care 
professionals about such disproportionate im-
pacts; and 
(3) analyze, and formulate recommendations 
with respect to, better options for— 
(A) diagnosing and treating thyroid disease 
in such populations; and 
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(B) paying for such diagnosis and treat-
ment. 
(b) TOPICS.—In carrying out the analysis under sub-
section (a), the Secretary may assess— 
(1) data from the Transformed Medicaid Statis-
tical Information System related to services fur-
nished to individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease 
for the treatment of thyroid disease symptoms under 
State Medicaid programs and State children’s health 
insurance programs; 
(2) data collected through the Surveillance, Epi-
demiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the 
National Cancer Institute; 
(3) data collected through the Medicare pro-
gram under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); 
(4) data related to services furnished to individ-
uals diagnosed with thyroid disease for the treat-
ment of thyroid disease symptoms under group 
health plans or group or individual health insurance 
coverage offered by a health insurance issuer; 
(5) data from nationally representative sample 
surveys (such as the National Health Interview Sur-
vey of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion (or any successor survey)); and 
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(6) such other data as the Secretary determines 
relevant. 
(c) DATA COLLECTION.—To carry out the analysis 
under subsection (a), the Secretary may request— 
(1) group health plans (as defined in section 
2791 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300gg–91)), health insurance issuers offering group 
or individual health insurance coverage (as so de-
fined), and health benefits plans offered under the 
Federal Employee Health Benefits Program under 
chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to provide 
such information as may be required to assess bar-
riers that individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease 
face in accessing treatments for thyroid disease 
symptoms, including a lack of insurance coverage 
and cost-sharing requirements for such treatments; 
and 
(2) State Medicaid programs and State chil-
dren’s health insurance programs to collect and re-
port, through the Transformed Medicaid Statistical 
Information System, data related to services fur-
nished to individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease 
for the treatment of thyroid disease symptoms, in-
cluding data stratified by relevant demographic 
characteristics. 
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(d) PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 
analysis under subsection (a), including making requests 
under subsection (c), and in submitting the report under 
subsection (e), the Secretary shall ensure that the privacy 
and confidentiality of individual patients are protected in 
a manner consistent with relevant privacy and confiden-
tiality laws. 
(e) REPORT.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, submit to Congress and make 
publicly available on the website of the Department 
of Health and Human Services a preliminary report 
on the analysis carried out under this section; and 
(2) not later than the end of fiscal year 2030, 
submit to Congress and make publicly available on 
the website of the Department of Health and 
Human Services a final report on such analysis. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
SEC. 4. PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WITH RESPECT TO 
THYROID DISEASE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
public awareness campaign regarding thyroid disease, in-
cluding by developing and disseminating information on— 
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(1) the awareness, incidence, and prevalence of 
thyroid disease and associated impacts, with a par-
ticular focus on the disparities and disproportionate 
impacts described in sections 2(a)(1)(F) and 
3(a)(2), especially on women; 
(2) the availability, as medically appropriate, of 
the range of treatment options for symptoms of thy-
roid disease; 
(3) how patients can better recognize the signs 
and symptoms of thyroid disease; and 
(4) whether there are benefits of routine screen-
ing, especially during pregnancy and reproductive 
stages. 
(b) INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.— 
In carrying out the public awareness campaign under sub-
section (a), the Secretary, in consultation with relevant 
health care professional societies and associations, shall 
disseminate information to health care professionals, 
health care-related organizations, and health systems to 
promote evidence-based care for individuals with thyroid 
disease, including information related to— 
(1) detecting and diagnosing thyroid disease 
with an emphasis on better addressing thyroid dis-
ease in populations at increased risk for the disease; 
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(2) providing care for individuals with thyroid 
disease; 
(3) communicating with patients about thyroid 
disease; 
(4) enhancing the prevention of implicit bias in 
the provision of care; and 
(5) related topics, including research on the 
reasons why thyroid disease occurs. 
(c) DISSEMINATION
OF INFORMATION.—The Sec-
retary may disseminate information under subsection (a) 
directly or through arrangements with intra-agency initia-
tives, nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, institu-
tions of higher education, or Federal, State, or local pub-
lic-private partnerships. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
SEC. 5. COLLABORATION WITH RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL 
SOCIETIES. 
In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall collabo-
rate with— 
(1) relevant professional societies; and 
(2) relevant agencies of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, including the National 
Institutes of Health. 
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SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given to such term in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(2) RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP.— 
The term ‘‘racial and ethnic minority group’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 1707(g) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(4) THYROID DISEASE.—The term ‘‘thyroid dis-
ease’’ means— 
(A) disorders and abnormalities of thyroid 
gland function; and 
(B) abnormalities of thyroid structure, in-
cluding thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. 
Æ 
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