The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital will receive up to $3 million for pediatric cancer research annually, under a bill signed into law Tuesday.
The law (SF 2480) implements a 5-cent tax on vapes and alternative nicotine products. The first $3 million from the tax money collected each year will go toward clinical trials, lab research and other research activities for pediatric cancer treatment.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the legislation at the Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, standing with a crowd of researchers, lawmakers and families of pediatric cancer survivors, including Brooke and Scott Kaas, whose daughter, Devyn, was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 7 months old.
Reynolds said the funding will open up opportunities for new treatments.
“It means the discovery of treatments that might otherwise have been, have never been found,” Reynolds said. “It means more families being able to find pediatric cancer care in state instead of having to travel across the country. And most importantly, it means more children like Devyn having the freedom to fulfill their life's potential.”
Scott said Devyn had an incredible care team, and they inspired him to help other families going through the same struggle. After speaking with University of Iowa doctors, he saw an opportunity to advocate for more funding for the cause.
“The governor said cancer is rare, and we've argued that many times with doctors that it's not. As you can see, standing here, there's quite a few people impacted. But we're so very thankful for all the legislators, the governor, all the folks that worked with us,” he said.
At the signing, University of Iowa researchers said that in addition to supporting clinical trials, the funding will expand existing research programs in leukemia, solid tumors and neuro-oncology. The money will also go toward building new programs in immuno-oncology, cellular therapies and health outcomes.
According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, there were on average 100 new cases of childhood cancer — or cancer in children from birth through age 14 — diagnosed each year from 2018 through 2022. The most common types of cancer were leukemia and brain cancer.
During that same period, there was an average of 49 new cases per year of adolescent cancers — or cancers affecting teens from age 15 through 19. The most common types of cancer for the age group during that period were leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma.
This year, the Iowa Legislature allocated an additional $3 million for pediatric cancer research to fill the funding gap before the law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
Attaching funding to vape tax faced pushback
During the legislative session, attaching pediatric research funding to the substance tax faced pushback when it passed out of the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers said the bill did not set the tax high enough to deter substance usage and criticized industry involvement in crafting the legislation — which senators acknowledged during debate on the bill.
Democratic lawmakers also said the plan does not adequately fund pediatric cancer research. A fiscal note said the tax won’t generate $3 million per year until the budget year starting in July 2030.
Lawmakers have said setting aside state funds could attract more federal dollars for pediatric cancer research.
The bill ultimately passed 67-18 in the House and unanimously in the Senate.
A separate stalled proposal from the House would have allocated $3 million every year for pediatric cancer research from the general fund, without a tax attached.
