Congress has approved the ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act, a bill championed by Tanea Brooks, better known to AEW fans as Rebel, who called on wrestling fans to back the legislation. The Senate passed the House’s version of the bill, H.R. 8205, on Monday, September 28, finalizing approval in Congress. The bill now awaits the President’s signature to become law.
Wrestling star Gail Kim acknowledged Brooks and the wrestling community’s efforts in a message on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Kim wrote, “You guys!! You all helped to make this happen. @RebelTanea you have truly been an inspiration and have made a real difference. Look at what you’ve helped achieve in such a short amount of time with incredible support of the Wrestling community!”
Brooks announced her ALS diagnosis earlier this year and made it public in May. By June, she became an ambassador for I AM ALS, an advocacy group led by patients, using her platform to advocate for reauthorizing the bill. Earlier this month, she rallied wrestling fans to sign an I AM ALS petition sent to Congress, urging timely reauthorization as legislators considered delaying the vote until year-end or later.
She emphasized the importance of reauthorization, stating, “Renewing it will secure another $500 million for ALS research and treatment access. ALS deserves your support, and needs it now. We can’t afford to wait.”
Originally enacted in December 2021, the ACT for ALS (Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS) was set to expire on September 30. The House passed its version in July, and the Senate approved a separate version in August, with reconciliation only happening when the Senate agreed to the House bill on Monday.
I AM ALS reported that it submitted more than 20,000 signatures to Congress pushing for reauthorization. The organization celebrated the bill’s passage “with ONE DAY to spare” on X, thanking everyone who contributed through emails, calls, meetings, and petition signatures.
According to Congress.gov, the bill extends ACT for ALS programs until fiscal year 2031. This includes National Institutes of Health grants for research on experimental drugs for ALS patients ineligible for clinical trials, FDA grants for research into ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, and a public-private partnership between the FDA and NIH supporting the development and review of such treatments. Additionally, the FDA is required to publish a five-year plan detailing how it will back ALS drug development and improve access to investigational drugs.
The Les Turner ALS Foundation highlighted ongoing initiatives under the original law, such as the ALS Knowledge Portal, the ALL ALS Consortium, and the FDA’s Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grants Program, all of which will continue under the reauthorization.
In the House, the bill was introduced by Representatives Mike Quigley and Ken Calvert. The Senate version was brought forward by Senators Lisa Murkowski and Chris Coons.
For more details on ACT for ALS and how to support I AM ALS, visit iamals.org.
Fan Take: This victory is a powerful reminder of how the wrestling community can impact meaningful change beyond the ring. By rallying behind Rebel and ALS advocacy, fans and fighters alike show that their passion extends into important causes, potentially energizing the sport with a deeper sense of purpose and unity.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
