▶ 0:17:09Chair Cassidy: The senate committee on out of labor and pensions will please come to order. I will make my opening statement -- when the wrecking member arrives, he will give his opening statement. But we want to move, so I'm just going to start. I appreciate everyone's work on these profamily probation bills. When the committee puts politics aside and we work together, we deliver results for the american families.
▶ 0:17:35Chair Cassidy: As chairman of the health committee, I'm committed to holding more markups to move forward your priorities, our top priorities to pass them into law to the benefit of folks in louisiana, in your state, all americans. The legislation we are considering today is I think contributed to families health.
▶ 0:17:55Chair Cassidy: There are senators o, smith, women and lung cancer research and preventive services act , helping doctors better identify which patients are at risk for lung cancer. Despite smoking at lower rates than men, more american women die from lung cancer than other types of cancer which I found surprising. As a doctor, I would have thought something like breast but it is lung, which is remarkable.
▶ 0:18:22Chair Cassidy: I think senators o and smith as well as secretary rubio who championed this legislation as a senator. As a physician, I know early intervention can save lives. Senators banks and padilla, tyler's law, enhances health care provider's ability to protect fentanyl exposure. The bill honors tyler, a 19-year-old who died from sentinel poisoning the day after being seen in an er.
▶ 0:18:49Chair Cassidy: Unfortunately, the common drug test doctors gave tyler was unable to detect synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to fentanyl. I was happy to collaborate with president trump to protect americans from this dangerous drug. In july, president trump's on my fentanyl act supporting law enforcement as they fight the scourge of fentanyl and fentanyl related substances on our streets.
▶ 0:19:15Chair Cassidy: In december, president trump signed our reauthorization act into law which bolsters prevention, treatment, and recovery for americans with substance abuse disorders and mental illness. I'm grateful to colleagues for the continued work to address the opioid crisis. Senators holly and hassan's rural hospital cybersecurity enhancement act empowers rural hospitals to and bolster their cyber security and protect patient data.
▶ 0:19:40Chair Cassidy: Cyber attacks on the health care sector not only put patient's sensitive help it at risk but can delay lifesaving care. In conjunction with the bill we are voted on today, I'm also working with senators hassan, corning, warner on the health care cybersecurity resilience act to better prepare the sector against cyber attacks. I look forward to working with ranking member sanders to advance the bill later.
▶ 0:20:05Chair Cassidy: Senators hoven and peters, protect infant formula from contamination act and ask important protocols, insuring infant formula is safe and readily available. We cannot allow a repeat of the 2022 infant formula shortage which had mothers scrounging the shelves at walmart, finding formula for their babies.
▶ 0:20:28Chair Cassidy: This legislation increases testing on infant formula for potential contaminants so the food and drug administration can work better with manufacturers to address safety concerns before infant formula reaches the shelves. The bill also directs fda to provide additional report to congress on how it's working to improve the safety and supply of formula. Thank you for your work. I look forward to advancing these bills as part of our profamily probation agenda. With that, I recognize senator sanders.
▶ 0:20:54Sen. Sanders: We are considering four bipartisan health care bills. The first bill is the women and lung cancer research and preventive services act . This bill addresses the reality that lung cancer is a very serious problem for men in this country. The second bill is s. 921, tyler's law .
▶ 0:21:19Sen. Sanders: At a time when we're in the midst of a major opioid and substance abuse epidemic in america, this bill improves the ability of health care providers to diagnose and detect fentanyl use in patients. The third bill is the rural hospital cybersecurity enhancement act . Rural hospitals are increasing the target of cyber attacks, and this bill takes us a step forward to help train staff.
▶ 0:21:47Sen. Sanders: The fourth bill is the protect infant formula from contamination act . As we all remember, we face a massive shortage of infant formula after the manufacturers have to to close down their plant in michigan after two infants died from bacterial infections. We have to make sure that doesn't happen again.
▶ 0:22:08Sen. Sanders: This bill requires companies, manufacturing formula to report any positive test of contaminants in their plants and a report from fda on their strategy making formula safe. I am supportive of all these bills and asked my colleagues to vote yes on them.
▶ 0:22:23Chair Cassidy: We will not begin consideration of four bipartisan bills. S. 1157, women and lung cancer research and preventive services act of 2025, s. 921, tyler's law , s. 2169, rural hospital cybersecurity enhancement act , and s.
▶ 0:22:42Chair Cassidy: 272, protect infant formula from contamination act paving for the awareness of all senators and staff, we intend to vote on amendments as they are raised but we will hold a vote on final passage on both bills until the end of the session. We will keep members and staff updated on the timing of the boat and final passage. In the interest of time, I asked colleagues to hold any remarks on today's bills until after we vote but I will stay until you've had a chance to speak.
▶ 0:23:09Chair Cassidy: As a reminder, when discussing an amendment, please identify which amendment you are discussing by its name and number. Anybody have an amendment? We will not begin with consideration of s. 1157, women and lung cancer research and preventive services act of 2025. We have a manager's amendment to s. 1157. I moved to adopt a manager's amendment in the nature of a substitute and have it be considered original text for the purpose of further amendments.
▶ 0:23:40Chair Cassidy: All those in favor please say aye. Although supposed say nay. Ayes have it. The motion is agreed to. I think senator o and others for improving lung cancer care for women, acknowledging marco rubio, secretary of state, who championed this during his previous congress. This bipartisan legislation helps doctors better identify which patients are at risk for lung cancer and referred them to screening.
▶ 0:24:07Chair Cassidy: It will save lives, patients, money, stress, you name it by detecting and treating lung cancer early. Seeing no other amendments, we will move to the next bill. We begin with consideration of s. 921, tyler's law . We have a manager's amendment to s. 921.
▶ 0:24:36Chair Cassidy: I moved to adopt a miniatures have been in the nature of a substitute and have it considered original text for the purpose of further amendments. All those in favor please say aye. Those opposed say no. The motion is agreed to. I think senator banks and senator padilla for their leadership.
▶ 0:24:53Chair Cassidy: This honors the memory of tyler shamash who died from a fentanyl poisoning a day after he was admitted to the emergency room and continues president trump and our collaboration to sign the patient for communities act reauthorization into law. I look forward to advancing this bill which will add to our committee's legacy of this bipartisan legislation to address the opioid crisis. Seeing no amendments, we will move to the next bill.
▶ 0:25:24Chair Cassidy: We now begin with consideration of s. 2169, rural hospital cybersecurity enhancement act . We have a manager's amendment. I moved to adopt a miniatures and invent in the nature of a substitute and have it considered original text for the purpose of original amendments. All those in favor please say aye. Opposing day. The motion is agreed to.
▶ 0:25:44Chair Cassidy: I thank senators holly and hassan for their work on this legislation to improve cybersecurity for rural hospitals, a continuing challenge for the health care sector, particularly for rural hospitals. This gives those hospital resources to develop the cybersecurity needs of their communities. I will vote yes on this. Seeing no other amendments, we will move on to the next bill. This will be consideration of s.
▶ 0:26:10Chair Cassidy: 272, protect infant formula from contamination act . We have a miniatures amendment to s. 272. I moved to adopt in the nature of the substitute and have it considered original text for the purposes of further amendments. All in favor please say aye. Opposed say nay. The motion is agreed to. I want to thank senators hoven and peters for their work on this legislation to ensure that our infant formula remains safe.
▶ 0:26:40Chair Cassidy: I also like to thank senator collins for her support of the bill and for helping to shepherd this bill through her committee. Maintaining visibility into the safety of infant formula is essential to protect families and ensure we do not have another infant formula shortage like in 2022. I will vote yes on this bill. We will not proceed to any amendments. Any senators wishing to offer amendments? Senator kaine.
▶ 0:27:05Sen. Kaine: Mr. chair, I have a very technical amendment. Great bill, glad we are doing it. Here's an education about senate rules that I didn't know after 13 years here. A manager's amendment is not able to change the short title of the bill. So in the amendment, something things changed, all agreed upon, so my amendment is now to change the short title of the bill so it conforms with the managers.
▶ 0:27:32Sen. Kaine: It is an agreed-upon issue, very technical one. K this isaine amendment one to s. 272. If you are really a note about this, look at the original title, it talks about testing of infant formula for microorganisms and toxic elements. The manager's amendment focused on microorganisms, does not require testing on toxic elements. So this is just an amendment of the title to match the manager's amendment text.
▶ 0:28:03Sen. Kaine: I would ask for a voice vote on it.
▶ 0:28:04Chair Cassidy: All those in favor say aye. Those opposed? The amendment passes. We have to do a recorded vote, I'm told. Ok. We are good. Great. Thank you, senator kaine. Let's keep rolling.
▶ 0:28:36Chair Cassidy: What are we doing? This concludes consideration of amendments to s. 272. We will now move to vote on the final passage of s. 1157. As amended. I moved to fairly report s. 1157 as amended. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:29:16Chair Cassidy: [roll call]
▶ 0:30:06Chair Cassidy: I don't have a proxy on paul, but I have a proxy on -- that would be ayes. And senator scott. >> senator scott, aye. 21 ayes, no nays.
▶ 0:30:37Chair Cassidy: The motion is agreed to. >> sorry, 22 ayes.
▶ 0:30:50Chair Cassidy: The bill is agreed to and will be favorably moved forward. As amended. We will not move to final passage of s. 921 as amended. I moved to favorably report s. 921 as amended. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:31:11Chair Cassidy: [roll call] 22
▶ 0:31:51Chair Cassidy: Ayes, zero nays.
▶ 0:31:54Chair Cassidy: Ayes have it. The bill is favorably agreed to and will be reported. We now move to the final passage of s. 2169 as amended. I moved to favorably report s. 2169 as amended. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:32:10Chair Cassidy: [roll call] 22
▶ 0:32:50Chair Cassidy: Ayes, ze ther bill is agreed to and will be favorablyo nays.
▶ 0:33:00Chair Cassidy: S. 272 as amended. The clerk will call the roll. [roll call]
▶ 0:33:51Chair Cassidy: >> 22 ayes, zero nays.
▶ 0:33:58Chair Cassidy: Senator hickenlooper, do you want to be recorded as present for the previous votes? I moved to authorize staff to make any technical and conforming changes when preparing s. 1157, s. 921, s. 2169, s. 272. All in favor say aye. Ayes have it. The motion is agreed to. That concludes the voting. We did all four, right?
▶ 0:34:31Chair Cassidy: I had all four. Is there any senator who wishes to speak on today's bills? Senator banks, do you have a statement to make? The committee stands adjourned. Thank you all.