Reauthorization of the Mammography Quality Standards Act
During the 108th Congress, the ACR has worked closely with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to develop reauthorization language for the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), which became law on October 27, 1992. On November 18, 2003, S. 1879, the Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 2004 (MQSRA), was introduced in the Senate by Sen Barbara Mikulski (D, Md).
Traditionally, MQSA has been on a 5-year appropriations reauthorization cycle. However, the ACR and these groups negotiated a 2-year reauthorization with Mikulski and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) to allow for the timelier incorporation of results from separate studies designed to determine whether some of the original MQSA regulations have become outdated. The ACR hopes these studies will suggest the elimination of regulations that are "burdensome without benefit."
On November 21, 2003, Sen Judd Gregg (R, NH), chair of the HELP Committee, conducted a mark-up and MQSRA was reported to the full Senate for consideration. S. 1879 passed the Senate on February 2, 2004, and was referred to the Subcommittee on Health of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In the House of Representatives, Rep John Dingell (D, Mich) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 4555. During the mark-up of the Dingell bill, the Health Subcommittee amended H.R. 4555 with a provision adding two industry representatives with expertise in mammography equipment to the National Mammography Quality Assurance Advisory Committee. Energy and Commerce Committee chair, Rep Joe Barton (R, Tex) believes industry representation on the Advisory Committee should be beneficial to the Department of Health and Human Services as it determines appropriate quality standards and regulations for mammography facilities.
H.R. 4555, as amended, was reported from the Energy and Commerce Committee on June 24, 2004, and is expected to be considered by the full House in the coming weeks. Although it provides for a 3-year reauthorization period rather than the 2-year period called for in the Senate bill, H.R. 4555 has emerged as the leading MQSRA legislation in the 108th Congress.
For more information, please contact ACR Director of Congressional Relations Josh Cooper at (800) 227-5463, ext. 4308, or by e-mail at joshuac@acr.org.