H.R. 7602

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7602 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 Representatives 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:
(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 include--
(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 concern to 
men, it is also a concern for women who prematurely 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 disability among men, including the costs of caring 
for dependents who are left behind.
(4) According to the Social Security Administration, 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 detection 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 suicide prevention.
(7) Recent scientific studies have shown that regular 
medical exams, preventive screenings, regular 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 Control 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 diagnosed 
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, approximately 110,910 
men in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer, 
and an estimated 63,040 men will die from lung cancer.
(12) It is estimated that, in 2026, approximately 55,410 
men in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer 
and 28,750 men will be diagnosed with rectal cancer. In the 
United States, colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of 
cancer-related deaths in men.
(13) Men make up over half the diabetes patients 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 annually. 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 treatment. A common reason for delay in treatment 
of 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 importance 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 results of such 
study.
(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 activities that 
should be undertaken by the Federal Government to eliminate or 
reduce such health disparities;
(4) identify and describe efforts to coordinate and support 
men's health throughout the Federal Government and identify 
ways in which such coordination 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;
(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 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, 
prostate 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 establishment 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
``(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 appropriated to the Office on Women's Health under 
section 229 or any other office of women's health in the Department of 
Health and Human Services.''.
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