Advocacy Newsletter: June 2026 June 22, 2026 Get Advocacy Newsletters Get quarterly news updates on about prostate cancer advocacy, government policy, and tangible steps you can take to have an impact. Enter your email Where did you learn about us? Download June in an election year is always a rush. Primaries are shaking out, appropriations committees try to get ahead of things, and advocacy groups are rushing to finish all the legislative work they can before the campaigns suck up all the oxygen in the room. This year is no different. Here at ZERO we’re hustling to make progress on the PSA Screening for HIM Act and the POPCaP Authorization Act, even though the pathways for success are pretty narrow. There's one important thing you can do to break through the noise - go visit your elected officials. Not in D.C., but at their district offices in your local community. If you haven't done it before, it can sound intimidating, but legislators spend most of the month of August working in their home districts, and it's a great opportunity to get a real face-to-face meeting with them. Even if you can't meet with the Member, meeting with their district staff is great - almost nothing is more motivating for the D.C. office than calls from district staff asking again about the important issue they heard about from a constituent who stopped by the office. And you're in luck! On July 14, our team will hold an Advocacy at Home webinar to walk you through every step of the way, from scheduling your meeting, to preparing your asks, to answering follow-up questions. You'll even hear from a current Hill staffer about why these meetings matter so much. Check out the registration link later in this email and mark your calendar today. Advocacy is an all-year-long activity and the ZERO team is here to help support you, whether in a district office or a state capitol. If you aren't sure where to start, reach out to us at advocacy@zerocancer.org anytime. We’re here to make sure public policy works for prostate cancer patients and those at risk - and we can't do it without you. Sincerely,Ali Download Federal Advocacy Update Since our last update in March, we have wrapped up Congressional appropriations season, which longtime ZERO advocates will know meant a heavy focus was on the Prostate Cancer Research Program. This year, the letter to House appropriators requesting the restoration of $110 million in PCRP funding closed with 127 signatures, and the Senate version closed with 24 signatures—both encouraging signs for our efforts. We are still waiting on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to announce their funding numbers for fiscal year 2027 later this summer. In good news, due to our combined efforts, the House has included an additional $1 million for the CDC's prostate cancer activities in its Labor-HHS appropriations bill. If signed into law, this funding increase would bring our total CDC funding gains to $2 million over the past two fiscal years! We are also thrilled to announce that the POPCaP Authorization Act has been introduced in the House as H.R. 8553. This critical legislation would protect and expand the VA's Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate, ensuring that POPCaP can continue to offer genetic and genomic testing and access to clinical trials for Veterans across the country. If you would like to send a message to your legislators about this bill, you can do so here. Regarding the PSA Screening for HIM Act, we are still pushing for both a Congressional hearing and a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office so that we can move the bill through the legislative process this year. In the meantime, success in any area of our federal priorities is more dependent on grassroots advocates than ever. Constituent stories are, hands down, the most effective way to move an elected official - please visit our action center to find ways to raise your voice from anywhere. Save the Date: Advocacy at Home Webinar Think you need to go to Washington to make a difference? Think again! While visiting Capitol Hill has its place, real change happens through steady, consistent engagement with your representatives. This August recess is your chance to speak up right in your own community. Join us July 14th at 7:00 PM ET to discover how! State Advocacy Update Most state sessions are over, and ZERO advocates made prostate cancer screening free for high-risk men in Alabama, Louisiana and Maine! This year, ZERO advocates tripled their state advocacy actions, helping pass lifesaving bills for prostate cancer patients: Since March, Maine and Louisiana have become the 11th and 12th states to remove the cost barrier to prostate cancer screening for high-risk patients.Connecticut, Oregon, and Maine passed bills providing medical debt relief to patients. Louisiana's Governor may sign a similar bill into law. Tennessee passed a bill improving coverage of biomarker testing; Hawai'i and New Hampshire passed bills to study biomarker testing.Colorado and Louisiana passed bills to improve access to mental health services for patients. Virginia passed a bill improving coverage of fertility preservation services; Hawai'i's Governor may sign a similar bill into law.Louisiana passed a bill improving access to affordable doctor-recommended treatments. Updates on active state no-cost prostate cancer screening bills:Minnesota: Being reintroduced for passage in 2027. MN Campaign link.New Jersey: Bills heard in Assembly & Senate; awaiting hearings in Senate Budget & Assembly Health. NJ Campaign link. Ohio: Awaiting vote out of House Committee. OH Campaign link. Pennsylvania: Awaiting hearing. PA Campaign link. South Carolina: Being reintroduced for passage in 2027. SC Campaign link.Saving lives from prostate cancer in your state takes a few minutes: If your state is in blue, please fill out this campaign to make PSA screening free in your state. Download One advocate's action through this campaign made screening free in Louisiana. You can make that difference too! If your state is in grey, please fill out our “Share Your Story” Campaign here. We had a successful session thanks to the hard work of our advocates, advocacy leaders, and partners. Thank you for advocating for your state’s prostate cancer community! Please continue to check the State Advocacy Page for updates on bills and our campaigns to support them. Save the Date: Advocacy at Home Webinar Think you need to go to Washington to make a difference? Think again! While visiting Capitol Hill has its place, real change happens through steady, consistent engagement with your representatives. This August recess is your chance to speak up right in your own community. Join us July 14th at 7:00 PM ET to discover how! Register Now Want to support our state & federal advocacy efforts? Consider making a donation here today. Advocacy Advocacy Newsletter Newsletter More for you
Get Advocacy Newsletters Get quarterly news updates on about prostate cancer advocacy, government policy, and tangible steps you can take to have an impact. Enter your email Where did you learn about us?
Download June in an election year is always a rush. Primaries are shaking out, appropriations committees try to get ahead of things, and advocacy groups are rushing to finish all the legislative work they can before the campaigns suck up all the oxygen in the room. This year is no different. Here at ZERO we’re hustling to make progress on the PSA Screening for HIM Act and the POPCaP Authorization Act, even though the pathways for success are pretty narrow. There's one important thing you can do to break through the noise - go visit your elected officials. Not in D.C., but at their district offices in your local community. If you haven't done it before, it can sound intimidating, but legislators spend most of the month of August working in their home districts, and it's a great opportunity to get a real face-to-face meeting with them. Even if you can't meet with the Member, meeting with their district staff is great - almost nothing is more motivating for the D.C. office than calls from district staff asking again about the important issue they heard about from a constituent who stopped by the office. And you're in luck! On July 14, our team will hold an Advocacy at Home webinar to walk you through every step of the way, from scheduling your meeting, to preparing your asks, to answering follow-up questions. You'll even hear from a current Hill staffer about why these meetings matter so much. Check out the registration link later in this email and mark your calendar today. Advocacy is an all-year-long activity and the ZERO team is here to help support you, whether in a district office or a state capitol. If you aren't sure where to start, reach out to us at advocacy@zerocancer.org anytime. We’re here to make sure public policy works for prostate cancer patients and those at risk - and we can't do it without you. Sincerely,Ali Download Federal Advocacy Update Since our last update in March, we have wrapped up Congressional appropriations season, which longtime ZERO advocates will know meant a heavy focus was on the Prostate Cancer Research Program. This year, the letter to House appropriators requesting the restoration of $110 million in PCRP funding closed with 127 signatures, and the Senate version closed with 24 signatures—both encouraging signs for our efforts. We are still waiting on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to announce their funding numbers for fiscal year 2027 later this summer. In good news, due to our combined efforts, the House has included an additional $1 million for the CDC's prostate cancer activities in its Labor-HHS appropriations bill. If signed into law, this funding increase would bring our total CDC funding gains to $2 million over the past two fiscal years! We are also thrilled to announce that the POPCaP Authorization Act has been introduced in the House as H.R. 8553. This critical legislation would protect and expand the VA's Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate, ensuring that POPCaP can continue to offer genetic and genomic testing and access to clinical trials for Veterans across the country. If you would like to send a message to your legislators about this bill, you can do so here. Regarding the PSA Screening for HIM Act, we are still pushing for both a Congressional hearing and a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office so that we can move the bill through the legislative process this year. In the meantime, success in any area of our federal priorities is more dependent on grassroots advocates than ever. Constituent stories are, hands down, the most effective way to move an elected official - please visit our action center to find ways to raise your voice from anywhere. Save the Date: Advocacy at Home Webinar Think you need to go to Washington to make a difference? Think again! While visiting Capitol Hill has its place, real change happens through steady, consistent engagement with your representatives. This August recess is your chance to speak up right in your own community. Join us July 14th at 7:00 PM ET to discover how! State Advocacy Update Most state sessions are over, and ZERO advocates made prostate cancer screening free for high-risk men in Alabama, Louisiana and Maine! This year, ZERO advocates tripled their state advocacy actions, helping pass lifesaving bills for prostate cancer patients: Since March, Maine and Louisiana have become the 11th and 12th states to remove the cost barrier to prostate cancer screening for high-risk patients.Connecticut, Oregon, and Maine passed bills providing medical debt relief to patients. Louisiana's Governor may sign a similar bill into law. Tennessee passed a bill improving coverage of biomarker testing; Hawai'i and New Hampshire passed bills to study biomarker testing.Colorado and Louisiana passed bills to improve access to mental health services for patients. Virginia passed a bill improving coverage of fertility preservation services; Hawai'i's Governor may sign a similar bill into law.Louisiana passed a bill improving access to affordable doctor-recommended treatments. Updates on active state no-cost prostate cancer screening bills:Minnesota: Being reintroduced for passage in 2027. MN Campaign link.New Jersey: Bills heard in Assembly & Senate; awaiting hearings in Senate Budget & Assembly Health. NJ Campaign link. Ohio: Awaiting vote out of House Committee. OH Campaign link. Pennsylvania: Awaiting hearing. PA Campaign link. South Carolina: Being reintroduced for passage in 2027. SC Campaign link.Saving lives from prostate cancer in your state takes a few minutes: If your state is in blue, please fill out this campaign to make PSA screening free in your state. Download One advocate's action through this campaign made screening free in Louisiana. You can make that difference too! If your state is in grey, please fill out our “Share Your Story” Campaign here. We had a successful session thanks to the hard work of our advocates, advocacy leaders, and partners. Thank you for advocating for your state’s prostate cancer community! Please continue to check the State Advocacy Page for updates on bills and our campaigns to support them. Save the Date: Advocacy at Home Webinar Think you need to go to Washington to make a difference? Think again! While visiting Capitol Hill has its place, real change happens through steady, consistent engagement with your representatives. This August recess is your chance to speak up right in your own community. Join us July 14th at 7:00 PM ET to discover how! Register Now Want to support our state & federal advocacy efforts? Consider making a donation here today.
