S. 494 · 119th Congress

National Plan for Epilepsy Act

Introduced on Feb 10, 2025 by Eric Schmitt (R-MO). 27 cosponsors, 19 of them from another party. Latest action (Aug 10, 2026): Held at the desk.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Feb 10, 2025
Cosponsors
27
19 from the other party
Policy area
Health

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

A bill to establish a national plan to coordinate research on epilepsy, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Advisory bodies
  • Congressional oversight
  • Data collection, sharing, protection
  • Health promotion and preventive care
  • Medical research
  • Neurological disorders

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in Senate, Feb 10, 2025). Public domain.

National Plan for Epilepsy Act

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a national plan, form an advisory council, and take other actions to address epilepsy. The requirements sunset on December 31, 2035.

Specifically, the bill requires HHS to carry out a National Plan for Epilepsy to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure epilepsy. In carrying out the plan, HHS must implement activities such as coordinating research and services across all federal agencies and soliciting public comments.

Also, HHS must establish an Advisory Council on Epilepsy Research, Care, and Services. The advisory council must report to HHS and Congress every two years with an evaluation of federally funded efforts.

Additionally, HHS must annually report to Congress with recommended actions based on its assessments of the nation’s progress on epilepsy.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Eric SchmittR-MOSponsor

Democrats · 19

Republicans · 8

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Feb 10, 2025Introduced in Senate
  2. Feb 10, 2025 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  3. Jul 22, 2026 · SenateCommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  4. Jul 28, 2026Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  5. Jul 28, 2026 · SenateCommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  6. Jul 28, 2026 · SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 526.
  7. Aug 4, 2026Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  8. Aug 4, 2026 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4426-4427; text: CR S4426-4427)
  9. Aug 10, 2026 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  10. Aug 10, 2026 · HouseReceived in the House.
  11. Aug 10, 2026 · HouseHeld at the desk.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. Epilepsy Foundation6 reports
    $580K reported (all issues)
  2. National Association of Epilepsy Centers5 reports
    $50K reported (all issues)
  3. LUNDBECK LLC4 reports
    $620K reported (all issues)Federal contractor: LUNDBECK LLCAI match · 99%
  4. Epilepsy Foundation of America3 reports
    $90K reported (all issues)
  5. EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY ACTION FUND, INC.2 reports
    $560K reported (all issues)
  6. UCB, INC.1 report
    $710K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2025, 2026.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 8, 2026 · loaded Oct 8, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 7, 2026 · loaded Oct 7, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.