Ovarian Cancer IMPACT Act would expand access to genetic testing and counseling, risk-reducing care, education and specialized care for patients and families

WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 28, 2026 — Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) today joined patients, survivors, and advocates in celebrating the introduction of the Ovarian Cancer Improving and Modernizing Prevention, Access, Care, and Testing (IMPACT) Act, bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen federal efforts to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and access to care for people affected by gynecologic cancers.

The legislation is being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) and in the House by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). Its introduction comes during September’s Gynecologic and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and is the product of months of stakeholder engagement led by OCRA’s Center for Public Policy.

The IMPACT Act addresses persistent barriers to genetic counseling and testing, hereditary cancer risk assessment, risk-reducing care, and specialized gynecologic oncology services. The bill would also strengthen national gynecologic cancer education and expand access to care for people living in rural, medically underserved, and Tribal communities.

“The IMPACT Act recognizes that improving outcomes in gynecologic cancer requires us to address the entire continuum of care, from education and hereditary risk assessment to genetic testing, prevention, treatment, survivorship, and access to specialists,” said Audra Moran, President and CEO of OCRA. “We are deeply grateful to Senators Slotkin and Britt and Representatives DeLauro and Bacon for coming together to advance this legislation. Their leadership will help bring greater access to the information, services, and care that patients and families need, regardless of where they live.”

The IMPACT Act would:

  • Strengthen gynecologic cancer education and awareness through Johanna’s Law. The bill reauthorizes and strengthens the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, supporting culturally and linguistically appropriate education about gynecologic cancers, hereditary cancer syndromes, genetic counseling and testing, and evidence-based risk-reduction strategies, including opportunistic salpingectomy. 
  • Expand access to genetic and genomic testing and hereditary cancer risk management. The legislation establishes coverage standards for genetic counseling, germline multi-gene testing, targeted genetic testing, and somatic tumor genomic and biomarker testing for individuals with ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and relevant hereditary or family histories. It also addresses coverage of evidence-based risk-reducing interventions for individuals at elevated hereditary risk. 
  • Improve access to specialized gynecologic oncology care in rural and underserved communities. The bill builds on existing Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) authorities to support gynecologic cancer services, hereditary cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, care coordination, and access to gynecologic oncology expertise in rural, medically underserved, and Tribal communities. It also expands the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and telehealth to connect local providers with specialists. 
  • Support innovative outreach and care models. The legislation establishes demonstration projects to evaluate approaches to gynecologic cancer awareness, hereditary risk assessment, genetic counseling, genetic testing, and access to specialty care, with preference for organizations serving rural, medically underserved, or high-risk populations. 
  • Improve implementation and accountability. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop an implementation plan and report to Congress on progress, utilization of genetic counseling and testing services, access to care, and remaining barriers. 

For too many people facing gynecologic cancer, where they live, what they know about their risk, or whether they can access a specialist can determine whether they receive the care they need,” Moran said. “This legislation takes important steps toward closing those gaps and making advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment more accessible to patients and families.

OCRA extends its appreciation to Senators Elissa Slotkin and Katie Britt and Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Don Bacon for their bipartisan leadership in advancing the legislation, as well as to the patients, survivors, clinicians, advocates, and partner organizations who helped inform the bill.

About Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

OCRA is the largest global organization dedicated to combating ovarian and all gynecologic cancers while supporting patients and families. Since its founding in 1994, OCRA has invested $150 million in scientific breakthroughs, helped secure $4.4 billion in federal research funding, and supports 140,000 individuals annually through its programs. Learn more at www.ocrahope.org.