,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbge  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ae1     
#bjbe,mr4 ,booker introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to provide for research and    
education with respect to uterine       
fibroids1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,stephanie ,tubbs ,jones ,uterine   
,fibroid ,research and ,education ,act  
of #bjbe4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds
 as follows3 7#a7 ,it is estimated that 
#bj percent to #ej percent of women of  
reproductive age currently have uterine 
fibroids1 and up to #gg percent of women
 will develop fibroids before menopause4
  7#b7 ,in the ,united ,states1 an      
estimated #bf1jjj1jjj women between the 
ages of #ae and #ej have uterine        
fibroids1 and approximately #ae1jjj1jjj 
of these individuals experience         
symptoms4 ,uterine fibroids may cause   

significant morbidity through their     
presence in the uterus and pelvic       
cavity1 and symptoms can include pelvic 
pain1 severe menstrual bleeding1        
iron-deficiency anemia1 fatigue1 bladder
 or bowel dysfunction1 infertility1 and 
pregnancy complications and loss4  7#c7 
,the pain1 discomfort1 stress1 and other
 physical and emotional symptoms of     
living with fibroids may significantly  
interfere with a woman's quality of     
life1 compromising her ability to       
function normally or work or care for   
her family1 and may lead to more severe 
health and wellness issues4  7#d7 ,most 
women will experience uterine fibroids  
by the age of #ej1 yet few data exist   
describing the overall patient          
experience with fibroids4  7#e7 ,many   
people with fibroids are likely         
undiagnosed4 ,patients wait on average  
#c4f years before seeking treatment1 and
 over #dj percent of patients see #b or 
more health care providers prior to     
receiving a diagnosis1 underscoring the 

need for improved awareness and         
education4  7#f7 ,people of color are   
more likely to develop uterine fibroids4
 ,it is estimated that more than #hj    
percent of ,black women and about #gj   
percent of ,white women develop fibroids
 by the time they reach menopause4      
,black individuals with fibroids have   
also been shown to have more severe     
symptoms and develop early-onset uterine
 fibroids that develop into larger      
tumors4  7#g7 ,current research and     
available data do not provide adequate  
information on the prevalence and       
incidence of fibroids in ,asian1        
,hispanic1 and ,black individuals4  7#h7
 ,symptomatic uterine fibroids can cause
 reproductive problems1 including       
infertility4 ,people with uterine       
fibroids are much more likely to        
miscarry during early pregnancy than    
people without them4  7#i7 ,according to
 the ,evidence ,report ,summary on the  
,management of ,uterine ,fibroids1 as   
compiled by the ,agency for ,healthcare 

,research and ,quality of the           
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services1 there is a remarkable lack of
 high-quality evidence supporting the   
effectiveness of most interventions for 
symptomatic fibroids4  7#aj7 ,most      
medical options for managing fibroid    
symptoms regulate or suppress           
menstruation and prevent pregnancy4     
,there is a great need for minimally    
invasive1 fertility-friendly therapies1 
as well as biomarkers1 imaging          
assessments1 or risk-based algorithms   
that can help predict patient response  
to therapy4  7#aa7 ,the presence of     
symptomatic uterine fibroids is the most
 common reason for hysterectomies1      
accounting for #ci percent of           
hysterectomies annually in the ,united  
,states4 ,approximately #db per #a1jjj  
women are hospitalized annually because 
of uterine fibroids1 but ,black patients
 have higher rates of hospitalization1  
hysterectomies1 and myomectomies        
compared to ,white women4 ,uterine      

fibroids are also the leading cause of  
hospitalization related to a            
gynecological disorder4  7#ab7 ,the     
personal and societal costs of uterine  
fibroids in the ,united ,states are     
significant4 ,uterine fibroid tumors    
have been estimated to cost the ,united 
,states #e1ijj1jjj1jjj to               
#cd1djj1jjj1jjj annually4 ,the annual   
direct costs1 including surgery1        
hospital admissions1 outpatient visits1 
and medications1 were estimated at      
#d1ajj1jjj1jjj to #i1djj1jjj1jjj        
annually4 ,estimated lost work-hour     
costs ranged from #a1eej1jjj1jjj to     
#ag1bjj1jjj1jjj annually4 ,obstetric    
outcomes that were attributed to fibroid
 tumors resulted in costs of            
#bch1jjj1jjj to #g1gfj1jjj1jjj annually4
  7#ac7 ,at the ,federal level1 uterine 
fibroid research remains drastically    
underfunded as compared to patient      
disease burden4 ,in #bjai1 fibroid      
research received about #ag1jjj1jjj in  
funding from the ,national ,institutes  

of ,health1 putting it in the bottom #ej
 of #bib funded conditions4  #c4        
,research with respect to uterine       
fibroids  7a7 ,research ,the ,secretary 
of ,health and ,human ,services         
7referred to in this ,act as the        
,secretary7 shall expand1 intensify1 and
 coordinate programs for the conduct and
 support of research with respect to    
uterine fibroids4  7b7 ,administration  
and coordination ,the ,secretary shall  
carry out the conduct and support of    
research pursuant to subsection 7a71 in 
coordination with the appropriate       
institutes1 offices1 and centers of the 
,national ,institutes of ,health and any
 other relevant ,federal agency1 as     
determined by the ,director of the      
,national ,institutes of ,health4  7c7  
,authorization of appropriations ,for   
the purpose of carrying out this        
section1 there are authorized to be     
appropriated #cj1jjj1jjj for each of    
fiscal years #bjbf through #bjcj4  #d4  
,research with respect to ,medicaid     

coverage of uterine fibroids treatment  
7a7 ,research ,the ,secretary 7or the   
,secretary's designee7 shall establish a
 research database1 or expand an        
existing research database1 to collect  
data on services furnished to           
individuals diagnosed with uterine      
fibroids under a ,state plan 7or a      
waiver of such a plan7 under the        
,medicaid program under title ,,xix of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq47 or under a     
,state child health plan 7or a waiver of
 such a plan7 under the ,children's     
,health ,insurance ,program under title 
,,xxi of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#acig;aa et seq47 for the treatment of  
such fibroids for purposes of assessing 
the frequency at which such individuals 
are furnished such services4  7b7       
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #b years after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the amount of ,federal and ,state       

expenditures with respect to services   
furnished for the treatment of uterine  
fibroids under ,state plans 7or waivers 
of such plans7 under the ,medicaid      
program under such title ,,xix and      
,state child health plans 7or waivers of
 such plans7 under the ,children's      
,health ,insurance ,program under such  
title ,,xxi4  7#b7 ,coordination ,the   
,secretary shall coordinate the         
development and submission of the report
 required under paragraph 7#a7 with any 
other relevant ,federal agency1 as      
determined by the ,secretary4  #e4      
,education and dissemination of         
information with respect to uterine     
fibroids  7a7 ,uterine fibroids public  
education program ,the ,secretary shall 
develop and disseminate to the public   
information regarding uterine fibroids1 
including information on-- 7#a7 the     
awareness1 incidence1 and prevalence of 
uterine fibroids among individuals1     
including all minority individuals2     
7#b7 the elevated risk for minority     

individuals to develop uterine fibroids2
 and  7#c7 the availability1 as         
medically appropriate1 of the range of  
treatment options for symptomatic       
uterine fibroids1 including             
non-hysterectomy treatments and         
procedures4  7b7 ,dissemination of      
information ,the ,secretary may         
disseminate information under subsection
 7a7 directly or through arrangements   
with intra-agency initiatives1 nonprofit
 organizations1 consumer groups1        
institutions of higher education 7as    
defined in section #aja of the ,higher  
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajja771 or ,federal1 ,state1 or local  
public private partnerships4  7c7       
,authorization of appropriations ,for   
the purpose of carrying out this        
section1 there are authorized to be     
appropriated such sums as may be        
necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbf
 through #bjcj4  #f4 ,information to    
health care providers with respect to   
uterine fibroids  7a7 ,dissemination of 

information ,the ,secretary shall1 in   
consultation and in accordance with     
guidelines from relevant medical        
societies1 work with health care-related
 specialty societies and health systems 
to promote evidence-based care for      
individuals with fibroids4 ,such efforts
 shall include minority individuals who 
have an elevated risk to develop uterine
 fibroids and the range of available    
options for the treatment of symptomatic
 uterine fibroids1 including            
non-hysterectomy drugs and devices      
approved under the ,federal ,food1      
,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4
 #cja et seq474  7b7 ,authorization of  
appropriations ,for the purpose of      
carrying out this section1 there are    
authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary for each of fiscal  
years #bjbf through #bjcj4  #g4         
,definition ,in this ,act1 the term     
minority individuals means individuals  
who are members of a racial and ethnic  
minority group1 as defined in section   

#agjg7;g7 of the ,public ,health        
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#cjju-#f7;g774