HARRISBURG – The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill today that could generate up to $100 million in private donations over the next decade to support childhood cancer research, according to the bill’s sponsor, Senator Scott Martin (R-13).
Senate Bill 74 would create a tax credit program for qualifying donations to a Pennsylvania pediatric cancer research hospital. The program would be capped at $10 million per year over the next 10 years.
The committee held a hearing on the bill last month that included testimony from cancer patients, advocates, pediatric cancer doctors and other experts on the subject. Each of the testifiers supported Martin’s bill.
“A pediatric cancer diagnosis is unimaginable for most parents, but it is a terrifying reality for thousands of families throughout Pennsylvania,” Martin said. “These families deserve to know that we are fighting for them and taking every opportunity to improve treatments, both now and in the future.”
Martin also authored a new law last year that allows Pennsylvanians to donate $5 to the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund when electronically renewing a driver’s license, photo identification card or vehicle registration. He also spearheaded the creation of a new law last year to provide new telepresence resources to students who face extended absences from school, including young people who are fighting cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, more children die from cancer than any other disease. Currently, the National Cancer Institute spends just 4 percent of its research dollars on pediatric cancer.
Video and testimony from the hearing are available at https://finance.pasenategop.com/.
CONTACT: Terry Trego (717) 787-6535