I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2178 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services to carry out a program of research related to 
cerebral palsy, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2025 
Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. CLEAVER, and Ms. NORTON) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out 
a program of research related to cerebral palsy, 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 ‘‘Cerebral Palsy Re-
search Program Authorization Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong 
motor impairment in children, affecting more than 
1,000,000 Americans, 1 in 345 children, and over 
17,000,000 people worldwide. 
(2) In the United States, more than 10,000 ba-
bies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year. 
(3) Cerebral palsy is a broad group of disorders 
disrupting a person’s ability to move, sit, stand, 
walk, talk, and use their hands. 
(4) In more than 80 percent of cases, the cause 
of cerebral palsy is unknown. 
(5) Seventy-five percent of individuals with cer-
ebral palsy also have 1 or more additional develop-
mental disabilities including epilepsy, intellectual dis-
abilities, communication problems, learning and at-
tention disorders, chronic pain, autism, hearing dis-
orders, and visual impairments or blindness. 
(6) Children with cerebral palsy are more likely 
to die from the flu and related viruses, including 
COVID–19, than children without neurologic dis-
orders. 
(7) There is no consensus of best practices for 
a person with cerebral palsy at the time of diagnosis 
or through the lifespan. 
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(8) It is estimated that the lifetime care and 
medical costs for all people with cerebral palsy who 
were born in 2000 alone will total more than 
$13,500,000,000. The loss of productivity and lost 
wages of the individual with cerebral palsy and their 
family members is more than $35,000,000,000. 
(9) Although there is not yet a known cure for 
many types of cerebral palsy, we know that treat-
ment breakthroughs and the prevention of many 
types of cerebral palsy is possible. 
SEC. 3. CEREBRAL PALSY RESEARCH. 
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 317C of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
247b–4) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 317C–1. CEREBRAL PALSY RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, and in consultation with other Federal agencies 
and partners, shall carry out (directly or through grants 
or contracts) a program of research related to cerebral 
palsy, including— 
‘‘(1) research on— 
‘‘(A) the most promising avenues of cere-
bral palsy diagnosis and treatment; 
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