Bipartisan breast density bill introduced in Congress

A bipartisan bill that would standardize communication to women regarding whether they have dense breast tissue on mammography was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on October 25.

The Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act (S 2006 and HR 4122) is sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Dean Heller (R-NV). In the House, it is sponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

The bill would set a minimum federal standard, as designated by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for notification about dense tissue and recommend that women discuss with their healthcare providers whether they would benefit from additional screening. It also directs HHS to study improved screening options for women with dense tissue.

In 2009, Connecticut was the first state to pass a bill mandating that women be notified if they have dense tissue and advised of supplemental screening options. Since then, 31 other states have passed their own versions of the legislation.