END SEPSIS is committed to ending preventable deaths from sepsis through coordinated national policy, advocacy, and evidence-based solutions. Sepsis kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year – many of these deaths are preventable. By improving awareness, early detection, treatment, and hospital protocols, we can save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and lessen the burden on families and the healthcare system.
The SEPSIS Act.
The SEPSIS Act (Securing Enhanced Programs, Systems, and Initiatives for Sepsis Act) represents a major milestone in the fight against sepsis.
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Introduced in the Senate on September 13, 2024 (World Sepsis Day) and reintroduced June 5, 2025 by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ). Read Senate Bill 1929 (S.1929).
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Introduced in the House on January 16, 2026, by Representatives Donald Norcross and Thomas Kean (NJ). Read House Bill 7116 (H.R.7116).
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Endorsed by the American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, New Jersey Hospital Association, Sepsis Alliance
The SEPSIS Act aims to save lives by improving early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis, while reducing its costly impact on hospitals, healthcare systems, and families.
Key provisions include:
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$20 million annual investment to expand outreach and education, encouraging adoption of CDC’s Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements
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Finalization and implementation of national sepsis outcome measures to:
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Standardize care across hospitals
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Incentivize timely treatment and improved clinical processes
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Lower healthcare costs through early interventions
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Drive transparency via public reporting of sepsis outcomes
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Strengthen hospital sepsis programs nationwide
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Improve pediatric sepsis data collection
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Ask Your Senators to Pass the SEPSIS Act Today!
Senators pay attention to their constituents, and your voice matters! You can make a real difference by urging your Senators to support the SEPSIS Act. We’ve made it easy: follow the links to find your Senators and send a customizable letter. If your Senator has already signed on, your message will be sent as a thank-you note.
CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR LETTER!
CMS and CDC Sepsis Measures: Advancing Hospital Standards
END SEPSIS has been at the forefront of advocating for national sepsis quality measures, culminating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releasing proposed structural and outcome measures for public comment. These measures, developed with guidance from our Sepsis National Initiative Expert Panel, are designed to transform sepsis care nationwide and save hundreds of thousands of lives.
The structural measure builds on the CDC’s 2023 Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements, a non-mandatory but evidence-based framework that improves early recognition, ensures timely treatment, supports recovery, and tracks outcomes. The guidelines emphasize leadership commitment, accountability, multi-professional collaboration, action-oriented processes, rigorous tracking, transparent reporting, and staff education and training.
Outcome measures will provide data to evaluate effectiveness, identify gaps, and ensure accountability, bringing sepsis in line with other serious conditions such as heart failure and stroke. Widespread adoption of these measures, modeled on the life-saving success of New York’s Rory’s Regulations, represents a historic opportunity to standardize care, reduce mortality, and dramatically improve patient outcomes across U.S. hospitals.
Other National Sepsis Policy Initiatives.
Since 2021, END SEPSIS has convened a national panel of leading sepsis experts – including clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and affected families – to develop actionable strategies to improve sepsis recognition, treatment, and outcomes nationwide. Our efforts have focused on driving evidence-based federal policy to address gaps in awareness, quality measurement, and accountability.
Key Federal Policy Achievements
CDC Sepsis Funding (FY24):
For the first time, the CDC received $3 million in direct funding to combat sepsis. This funding enables:
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Integration of hospital sepsis data into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)
- Education and advocacy to encourage hospitals to adopt the CDC’s Sepsis Hospital Program Core Elements to improve outcome for sepsis patients.
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Evaluation of hospital adoption of the CDC’s Sepsis Hospital Program Core Elements
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Development of new quality measures to track adult and pediatric sepsis outcomes
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Studies (FY22):
Following advocacy by END SEPSIS, AHRQ received Congressional funding to conduct comprehensive research on sepsis-related morbidity, mortality, and readmissions, including:
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Pediatric and maternal sepsis
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Nursing home and rehabilitation care
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Impacts of pandemic-related healthcare system changes on sepsis outcomes
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Economic analysis of sepsis-related costs in the U.S.
The results of these studies are guiding federal resource allocation and informing policies to reduce preventable deaths.
Read the full report.
National Impact
These initiatives mark the first time federal agencies have dedicated sustained attention, funding, and measurable outcome targets specifically for sepsis. Together, they lay the foundation for nationwide protocols, improved hospital compliance, and long-term reductions in mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs.
Rory’s Regulations: A Proven Model
New York’s Rory’s Regulations, enacted in 2013, require all hospitals to implement evidence-based protocols for early sepsis identification and treatment. Hospitals must submit outcome data to the NYS Department of Health, creating transparency and accountability. In the first four years, Rory’s Regulations saved an estimated 16,000 lives.
Read more about Rory’s Regulations and the importance of sepsis protocols.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by sepsis, please consider joining our national policy campaign. Your voice and story are powerful in winning the hearts and minds of those with the power to effect real and lasting change – and save lives from sepsis. Email Orlaith Staunton at ostaunton@endsepsis.org to join us.
