I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7602 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report 
on the state of men’s health in the United States and to establish 
an Office of Men’s Health within the Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 20, 2026 
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. MURPHY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
study and report on the state of men’s health in the 
United States and to establish an Office of Men’s Health 
within the Department of Health and Human Services. 
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 ‘‘State of Men’s Health 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Risks to the health and well-being of the 
Nation’s men (and their families) are on the rise due 
to a lack of education on, awareness of, and pursuit 
of preventive screening and care. These risks in-
clude— 
(A) men are more at risk for premature 
death from 9 out of the top 10 causes of death; 
(B) after a steady decline from 1979 to 
2016, the lifespan gender gap has expanded 
since 2016 from 4.4 years to a crisis level of 
5.9 years with the current average age of death 
for men being 73.2 years versus 79.1 years for 
women; and 
(C) in the United States, men die at an 
overall rate 1.4 times higher than women on an 
age-adjusted basis. 
(2) While this health crisis is of particular con-
cern to men, it is also a concern for women who pre-
maturely lose their fathers, husbands, sons, and 
brothers. 
(3) Men’s health is a concern to the Federal 
Government and State governments, which absorb 
the enormous costs of premature death and dis-
ability among men, including the costs of caring for 
dependents who are left behind. 
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(4) According to the Social Security Adminis-
tration, 16.8 percent of widows 65 years of age or 
older are impoverished, compared to 4.9 percent of 
married women 65 years of age or older. 
(5) Educating men, their families, and health 
care providers about the importance of early detec-
tion of health issues that can impact men, such as 
cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV/AIDS, 
osteoporosis, cancer (lung, prostate, skin, colorectal, 
testicular, and more), and other pertinent health 
issues, can result in reducing rates of mortality of 
diseases impacting males, as well as improve the 
health of the Nation’s males and the Nation’s overall 
economic well-being. 
(6) Of concern are the physical, mental, and 
emotional well-being of our military men (and 
women) returning from war zones and our veterans, 
particularly with respect to mental health and sui-
cide prevention. 
(7) Recent scientific studies have shown that 
regular medical exams, preventive screenings, reg-
ular exercise, and healthy eating habits can save 
lives. 
(8) Men die of suicide at four times the rate of 
women. According to the Centers for Disease Con-
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trol and Prevention, men make up 50 percent of the 
population but nearly 80 percent of suicides. 
(9) According to the National Cancer Institute, 
cancer mortality is higher among men than women 
(171.5 per 100,000 men and 126.3 per 100,000 
women). 
(10) Prostate cancer is the most frequently di-
agnosed cancer in the United States among men. 
One in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer 
in their lifetime. In 2026, over 333,830 men will be 
newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and 36,320 
men with prostate cancer will die. The incidence of 
prostate cancer is 50 percent higher in African- 
American men, who are twice as likely to die from 
such cancer. There are over 3,100,000 men in the 
United States living with prostate cancer. 
(11) It is estimated that, in 2026, approxi-
mately 110,910 men in the United States will be di-
agnosed with lung cancer, and an estimated 63,040 
men will die from lung cancer. 
(12) It is estimated that, in 2026, approxi-
mately 55,410 men in the United States will be di-
agnosed with colon cancer and 28,750 men will be 
diagnosed with rectal cancer. In the United States, 
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colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer- 
related deaths in men. 
(13) Men make up over half the diabetes pa-
tients aged 18 and over in the United States (18.9 
million men total), and over one-third of them don’t 
know it. Approximately 37.3 million people in the 
United States are living with diabetes, and men are 
more likely to die from the disease. In the United 
States, 96 million people aged 18 and older have 
prediabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes have 
medical expenditures that are 2.3 times higher than 
patients without diabetes. 
(14) A research study found that premature 
death and morbidity in men costs Federal, State, 
and local governments in excess of $142 billion an-
nually. It also costs United States employers, and 
society as a whole, in excess of $156 billion annually 
and an additional $181 billion annually in decreased 
quality of life. 
(15) About 9,810 men will be diagnosed in 
2026 with testicular cancer, and many of these men 
will die from this disease or suffer serious adverse 
outcomes due to lack of early diagnosis and treat-
ment. A common reason for delay in treatment of 
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this disease is a delay in seeking medical attention 
after discovering a testicular mass. 
(16) Men over the past decade have shown 
poorer health outcomes than women across all racial 
and ethnic groups as well as across socioeconomic 
status conditions. 
(17) Healthy fathers can be role models for 
their children, leading by example, and encouraging 
them to lead healthy lifestyles. The premature death 
and disability of fathers is an issue of central impor-
tance to children. 
(18) Establishing an Office of Men’s Health is 
needed to investigate these findings and take further 
action to promote awareness of men’s health needs. 
SEC. 3. GAO STUDY AND REPORT ON THE STATE OF MEN’S 
HEALTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall— 
(1) complete a study on the state of men’s 
health in the United States, including the territories 
of the United States; and 
(2) submit a report to the Congress on the re-
sults of such study. 
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(b) REPORT CONTENTS.—The report required by 
subsection (a) shall— 
(1) identify health disparities in men’s health; 
(2) describe the programs and activities of the 
Federal Government that are currently authorized 
and can be optimized to improve men’s health to 
eliminate or reduce such health disparities; 
(3) recommend any additional programs or ac-
tivities that should be undertaken by the Federal 
Government to eliminate or reduce such health dis-
parities; 
(4) identify and describe efforts to coordinate 
and support men’s health throughout the Federal 
Government and identify ways in which such coordi-
nation and support can be improved; 
(5) identify the number of offices within the 
Federal Government focusing on health services and 
recommend offices that— 
(A) could be combined or transitioned into 
an office on men’s health; or 
(B) could assume a leadership role on 
men’s health; 
(6) review and assess programs and activities to 
improve male engagement in the health care system; 
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(7) assess the Federal research landscape to 
identify opportunities for additional investments that 
could catalyze significant progress in addressing 
men’s health needs; and 
(8) identify ways to increase public awareness 
of the need for greater investment in and attention 
to men’s health research, as well as men’s health 
outcomes. 
(c) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section. Any funds used 
to carry out this section shall be derived from amounts 
authorized to be appropriated by other provisions of law. 
SEC. 4. OFFICE OF MEN’S HEALTH. 
Part A of title II of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 229A. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF 
MEN’S HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall establish within the Department of Health and 
Human Services an Office of Men’s Health. 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing such Office, 
the Secretary shall take into consideration the results of 
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the study under section 3 of the State of Men’s Health 
Act. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.—The activities of the Office of 
Men’s Health shall include— 
‘‘(1) conducting, supporting, coordinating, and 
promoting programs and activities to improve the 
state of men’s health in the United States; 
‘‘(2) assisting in the coordination of programs 
and activities of the Department of Health and 
Human Services relating to men’s health, including 
coordination of public awareness, education, and 
screening programs and activities related to men’s 
health, with an emphasis on colorectal cancer, pros-
tate cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, and mental 
health screening programs for men identified as 
being at increased risk of developing such diseases 
and conditions; and 
‘‘(3) establishing and maintaining a database of 
best practices, clinical guidelines, clinical research, 
and funding opportunities relating to men’s health. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the es-
tablishment of the Office of Men’s Health, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities 
of such Office, including— 
‘‘(1) findings regarding men’s health; and 
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‘‘(2) recommendations to improve men’s health 
outcomes as a result of the findings. 
‘‘(e) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section. Any funds 
used to carry out this section shall be derived from 
amounts authorized to be appropriated by other provisions 
of law, excluding any amounts authorized to be appro-
priated to the Office on Women’s Health under section 
229 or any other office of women’s health in the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services.’’. 
Æ 
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