US president signs ALS program reauthorization through 2031

The US president signed H.R. 8205 into law on 3 November 2026, reauthorizing the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act through fiscal year 2031, the White House said.

The original ACT for ALS passed in 2021, according to I AM ALS co-founder Brian Wallach. Its programs support research and development of drugs and other therapies for ALS, according to Representative Ken Calvert’s office. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive, fatal neurological disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

What Calvert’s office says the law requires

Calvert’s office said the law codifies the Department of Health and Human Services’ interpretation of eligibility guidelines for an Expanded Access Program. The office did not specify the guidelines, and the White House did not specify funding amounts or changes to treatment access.

Representative Mike Quigley introduced the bill, with Calvert as its lead Republican cosponsor. Calvert also co-chairs the House ALS Caucus. Congress passed it after the House approved it on 22 July 2026. Quigley said the original act had helped thousands of Americans access treatments and research and that reauthorization was needed to continue research funding.

Calvert’s office said the law also requires a new five-year action plan from the US Food and Drug Administration and, in 2030, a new Government Accountability Office report on implementation of ACT for ALS programs.