Each year, ASTCT leaders and volunteers from across the country meet with their respective members of Congress to advocate for patient access to lifesaving transplant and cell therapy treatments and methods of care.

This year, ASTCT board members, volunteers and advocates will convene in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23-24, for ASTCT Hill Day 2026. During this annual advocacy event, participants will meet directly with congressional offices to advance ASTCT's federal policy priorities and highlight the critical role of hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy in improving patient outcomes.

The 2026 Hill Day Advocacy Agenda 

Increase NIH funding 
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public health funder of clinical trials that our patients depend on for access to cutting-edge treatments. Investment in NIH means continued U.S. leadership, biomedical advancements, economic and societal return on investment, and most importantly — more lives saved.

• Increase NIH funding by to at least $51.3 billion in FY2027 to continue lifesaving biomedical research, advance the next generation of cellular and transplant therapies and maintain America’s global leadership in biomedical innovation.

Providing funding for the proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance for federally funded biomedical research

ASTCT supports guidance that promotes accountability and proper use of federal funds. OMB’s proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance, however, would disrupt research, limit opportunities for scholarly engagement and scientifc exchange and diminish America’s scientifc leadership and potential.

• Prohibit federal funds from being used to implement changes to the Uniform Guidance that would undermine the integrity and stability of federally funded biomedical research.

Reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program

The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (CWBYCTP) is ofen the only lifeline for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, and other deadly blood disorders who need a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. Seventy-fve percent of these patients lack a matching donor in their family and must rely on the CWBYCTP to quickly fnd an unrelated donor or cord blood unit.

CWBYCTP requires seamless coordination across multiple federal agencies—a level of efficiency and protection that can only be achieved through a federally recognized program with national reach. Without CWBYCTP, patients would face signifcant barriers to receiving the transplant they urgently need.

• Reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program by supporting S. 4109/H.R. 5160, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act, to ensure continued access to lifesaving blood transplants.

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