H.R. 8939

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8939 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8939

To direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct 
a study and submit to Congress a report on the development of a 
standardized, noninvasive test for HPV in men, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 20, 2026

Mrs. McIver (for herself, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Menendez, and 
Mr. Veasey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct 
a study and submit to Congress a report on the development of a 
standardized, noninvasive test for HPV in men, and for other purposes.

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 ``Closing the HPV Testing Gap Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Human papillomavirus (in this section referred to as 
``HPV'') is the most common sexually transmitted infection in 
the United States, with a significant proportion of HPV-related 
cancers, particularly oropharyngeal cancers, occurring among 
men.
(2) There is currently no HPV diagnostic test for men that 
is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, creating a 
critical gap in public health surveillance, prevention, and 
treatment.
(3) The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine, in its 2023 report titled ``National Cancer Control 
Efforts Should Address the System, Not Its Individual Parts'', 
emphasized the importance of coordinated, system-wide 
strategies for cancer prevention.
(4) Expanding HPV detection efforts to include men would 
promote gender equity in cancer prevention and enhance national 
cancer control and public health outcomes.
(5) The absence of a standardized HPV diagnostic test for 
men contributes to sustained transmission pathways and delayed 
detection that directly impact women's health outcomes, 
including cervical cancer incidence, thereby reinforcing 
inequities in cancer prevention.

SEC. 3. NIH STUDY AND REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDIZED, 
NONINVASIVE HPV TEST FOR MEN.

(a) Study.--The Director of NIH shall, not later than 24 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, conduct a comprehensive 
study on the development of a standardized, noninvasive test for HPV in 
men.
(b) Consultation; Coordination.--The Director of NIH shall conduct 
the study under subsection (a)--
(1) in consultation with the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, the Commissioner of Food and 
Drugs, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, and the National Academy of Medicine;
(2) in consultation with scientific and clinical experts, 
public health agencies, and relevant research institutions; and
(3) in coordination with the President of the National 
Academy of Medicine.
(c) Elements.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Director of NIH shall--
(1) assess the current state of development, scientific 
knowledge, and research gaps related to standardized, 
noninvasive tests for HPV in men;
(2) explore potential approaches and methodologies for 
noninvasive HPV testing in men, including evaluation of multi-
site testing (such as testing of oral, pharyngeal, anal, and 
penile and urine testing);
(3) provide considerations for future implementation, 
including advancing research to improve understanding of HPV-
related cancer risk in men, potential pilot studies or 
population-level testing protocols, and identify areas where 
further research could inform public health strategies;
(4) assess the feasibility of conducting pilot and 
implementation studies related to such tests in men across 
diverse populations (including high-risk and underserved 
communities) and across multiple sites affected by HPV 
(including testing of oral, pharyngeal, anal, and penile sites 
and urine testing);
(5) develop recommendations for interagency coordination to 
facilitate regulatory approval of such tests, community-based 
screening of HPV in men, and equitable access to such tests 
through the Food and Drug Administration and the Health 
Resources and Services Administration; and
(6) conduct such other pilot and feasibility studies as the 
Secretary determines appropriate to complete the study under 
subsection (a).
(d) Interagency Working Group.--The Director of the National 
Institutes of Health shall establish an interagency working group, 
which shall include representatives from the Food and Drug 
Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Academy 
of Medicine, to ensure that throughout the period of the study under 
this section, the study is implemented by coordinating among 
scientific, regulatory, and community implementation pathways.
(e) Report.--Not later than 30 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of NIH shall submit to Congress a report 
describing--
(1) the findings and conclusions of the Director based on 
the study;
(2) recommendations for developing and implementing a 
standardized, noninvasive test for HPV in men; and
(3) interagency strategies for integrating HPV testing into 
national cancer prevention and health equity initiatives.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director of nih.--The term ``Director of NIH'' means 
the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
(2) HPV.--The term ``HPV'' means the human papillomavirus.
(3) Study.--The term ``study'' means the study referred to 
in subsection (a).
(g) Funding.--To carry out this section, the Director of NIH shall 
use funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Director of 
NIH for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
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