On September 2, 2026, U.S. Congressman Dr. Ami Bera, D-California, along with Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, co-chairs of the House Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus, reintroduced the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2026. This bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen U.S. efforts to prevent, diagnose, treat, and ultimately eliminate tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. A group of seven bipartisan representatives joined as original cosponsors.
“Tuberculosis is preventable, treatable, and curable, yet it continues to take far too many lives around the world,” said Dr. Bera is quoted saying in the press release. “The End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2026 ensures the United States remains a leader in this fight by focusing on proven approaches: investing in better diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines and making sure our global health programs are accountable for results. I’m especially grateful to John Green, RESULTS, and TB advocates across the country for their tireless work to raise awareness, build support, and move us closer to ending TB once and for all.”
Rep. Salazar echoed Bera’s comments noting, “Tuberculosis has challenged humanity for centuries. It should not define the centuries ahead.”
RESULTS, an advocacy organization for global health crises such as TB, malnutrition, and AIDS, was among the leaders in influencing this legislation in Congress.
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“RESULTS is deeply grateful to Rep. Bera and Rep. Salazar for their unwavering commitment to the fight against TB, and for championing this legislation,” said Dr. Joanne Carter, Executive Director of RESULTS. “Communities around the world are leading the fight against TB, and we now have a range of powerful new tools ready to deploy. The U.S. government has already set bold targets for ending TB globally, and this bill provides the framework for how we actually get there. Our volunteers across the country are ready to support Congress to get this bill enacted into law.”
The End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2026 modernizes U.S. global TB programs to focus resources on finding, treating, and preventing tuberculosis, particularly in countries and communities with the highest burden of the disease.
The legislation would expand access to TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, including active case finding, rapid diagnostics, treatment for drug-resistant TB, and preventive treatment for people at high risk of infection; Accelerate research and development of better tools to fight TB, including new diagnostics, drug therapies, vaccines, and other technologies, while strengthening health systems and laboratory capacity; Set clear goals and strengthen accountability for U.S. programs, including working by 2030 to reduce TB incidence by 80 percent and TB deaths by 90 percent from 2015 levels, diagnose and begin treatment for 90 percent of TB and drug-resistant TB cases, achieve a 90 percent treatment success rate, and provide preventive treatment to 30 million people.
Since 2022, Representative Bera has led bipartisan efforts in the House of Representatives to eliminate tuberculosis. Bera has made the case that investing in prevention, detection, and eradication efforts abroad is also an investment in the health and security of Americans at home, and is a commonsense way to keep Americans safe and defend America from future public health threats.
Companion legislation in the Senate was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).