Community advocates, including co-founders Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, as well as Ambassador I AM ALS, the late actor Eric Dane, and former professional wrestler Tanea "Rebel" Brooks, jointly contributed to this milestone victory. They secured up to $500 million in funding for ALS and continued to pave the way towards healing.

Washington, November 3, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- I AM ALS and its nationwide advocacy group are celebrating as the President has signed the ACT for ALS reauthorization act into law. Previously, the Senate passed the bill with unanimous consent just hours before it was set to expire, while the House of Representatives adjourned ahead of time. The I AM ALS community identified a significant gap in access to experimental treatments as early as 2021 and jointly drafted the initial ACT for ALS bills to address this issue. Now, with the benefits of these efforts beginning to show, this law has been extended for another five years to expand research infrastructure and increase accessibility to treatments, which means up to an additional $500 million will be invested in ALS.

"In the past seven years or so, this community has transformed the possibilities in the ALS field," said I AM ALS, co-founder of Brian Wallach. "The leadership of the I AM ALS community, by releasing over $2 billion in federal ALS research funds, expanding and protecting access to life-changing therapies, and accelerating scientific breakthroughs, has brought us closer to a cure than ever before. We are grateful for the support of our congressional advocates in the ALS field—including the initiators, Senator Coons (Democrat from Delaware) and Murkowski (Republican from Alaska), as well as Representatives Quigley (Democrat from Illinois 5th District) and Calvert (Republican from California 41st District)—and to all the advocates who have tirelessly worked to extend this historic legislation for another five years."

This legal passage is of groundbreaking significance, and this is due to the tremendous efforts made by the I AM ALS community-led movement. Since ACT for ALS were first signed into law, I AM ALS has been monitoring and reporting on the breakthrough achievements made in their implementation. Before the arrival of the reauthorization year, I AM ALS organized and carried out a comprehensive and multi-pronged advocacy campaign, including:

• Establish and strengthen relationships with supporters in Congress;
• Mobilized a large number of grassroots volunteer leaders from all over the country;
• In collaboration with researchers, other organizations, and celebrity advocates, the most notable among whom are the late actor Eric Dane and professional wrestlers Tanea, Rebel, and Brooks, to reinforce and amplify our message; as well as
• Collaborate with top experts in government affairs and public relations.

In just this one year alone, I AM ALS has held over 430 offline and online advocacy meetings and telephone communications, facilitated more than 38,000 online actions, sent over 95,000 emails, and collected over 20,100 petition signatures in the last few weeks before the bill expired.

Unlike any previous legislation in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, ACT for ALS has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in research with ALS, providing experimental treatment opportunities for over 800 patients who would not have otherwise met the criteria, and establishing a sustainable infrastructure for future research.

"In the past few months, we have not only facilitated the passage of a key bill; we have also inspired a community that is constantly renewing itself, welcoming new advocates, nurturing new leaders, and ensuring that each generation is ready to strive for the next breakthrough," said Troy Fields, co-chair of the legislative affairs team for I AM ALS and a patient from ALS. "The competition can be ruthless, but we continue to prove that we are no exception."

"In the past five years, ACT, for, and ALS have promoted scientific research and helped ALS patients access promising treatments they need. The reauthorization of this bill continues this work and also brings hope for the future development of ALS therapies," said Quigley, a Congressman. "I am delighted that this important bill has been signed into law, and I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate for making this possible."

"I am very pleased that the reauthorization bill signed into law by ACT, for, and ALS reaffirms our commitment to finding a cure and treatment plan for ALS," said Calvert. "As co-chair of the bipartisan ALS core group, I am well aware of the great efforts made by those affected by ALS to push this bill through, and I appreciate their relentless advocacy. With the reauthorization bill officially signed into law by ACT, for, and ALS, we celebrate this victory while also continuing to focus on the follow-up work to end this terrible disease."

I AM ALS calls on supporters to go to bit.ly / A4A-TY to express their gratitude to the congressional supporters who helped bring about this law.

About I AM ALS

I AM ALS is a non-profit organization, which has been referred to by STAT News as the most successful patient advocacy movement of this century. We have established a community movement aimed at bringing together collective efforts to find faster treatments and cures for ALS, while also creating lasting systemic change. Our focus is on three main areas:

• Advocate for federal policy changes to promote research, support, and treatment of ALS;
• By providing volunteers and support opportunities for advocates and ALS patients, we aim to improve the quality of life;
• Mobilize and empower advocates to raise public awareness of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, and increase the visibility of the experiences of ALS patients.

For more information, please visit www.iamals.org.

SOURCE I AM ALS