Norcross, Kean Introduce SEPSIS Act to Strengthen National Effort to Combat Sepsis 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Thomas Kean Jr. (R- NJ) introduced the Securing Enhanced Programs, Systems and Initiatives for Sepsis (SEPSIS) Act to strengthen national efforts to combat sepsis, a life-threatening condition that Congressman Norcross developed and fully recovered from last year.

“Last year, I experienced a medical emergency on an airplane and developed sepsis, a medical condition caused by a severe infection. Each year, 1.7 million people in the United States develop sepsis and it is the third leading cause of death in American hospitals. I was one of the lucky ones,” said Congressman Norcross. “I am here today because of the excellent doctors and nurses who saved my life, but too many families aren’t as lucky. With the SEPSIS Act, we can change that.  We can save lives and reduce the devastating toll this condition has on our loved ones.”

“Sepsis can impact anyone – young or old, sick or healthy – and preventing deaths depends on early recognition and timely intervention,” said Congressman Kean. “Today, Congressman Norcross and I are introducing this bipartisan legislation to strengthen sepsis care through expanded education, national information-sharing on best practices, and improved pediatric data collection. New Jersey has long been a leader in the fight against sepsis, and I am grateful to partner with a fellow member of our state’s delegation to bring this critical effort to the federal level.”

“Sepsis is a devastating disease which unjustly claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year which would be preventable with more early detection. I am grateful for my dear friends Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton from New York who went through a terrible tragedy, losing their 12-year-old son Rory to sepsis a decade ago and have turned their profound suffering into action so that hopefully no family has to experience the same pain,” said Senator Schumer. “I’ve long fought aside them and am proud the SEPSIS Act would help raise awareness and boost federal research funding for this devastating condition. The federal government must continue to bring more awareness and research to combatting this ruinous condition and save lives.”

“This bipartisan bill would help provide hospitals and health care professionals with the training and data they need to detect and treat sepsis earlier, so that fewer families lose loved ones to this devastating condition,” said Senator Collins. 

“We know that early detection and treatment of sepsis is key to saving someone’s life,” said Senator Kim. “We can improve this through better coordination and education. I hope we can come together on this bill to prevent further tragedy and save families from such unbearable loss.”

“We thank Congressman Norcross and Congressman Kean for their unwavering leadership in championing this lifesaving sepsis legislation,” said Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton, founders of END SEPSIS, The Legacy of Rory Staunton. “Thirteen years ago, sepsis claimed the life of our 12-year-old son, Rory. That heartbreak changed our lives forever-and it fuels our fight today. Today, sepsis still takes hundreds of thousands of lives each year while costing our healthcare system $64 billion annually. This bill is a critical step toward making early detection, timely treatment, and accountability the national standard—so preventable sepsis deaths become the exception, not the rule. Our son Rory loved helping people, lifting others up whenever he could. In this moment, he is still lifting us all, urging us to fight harder and do better.”

“New Jersey hospitals have made significant investments in evidence-based protocols, staff training and quality improvement to identify and treat sepsis as early as possible. Continued attention to sepsis – such as this important legislation – is critical to supporting hospitals’ ongoing efforts to save lives,” said Cathy Bennett, NJHA President and CEO.

The SEPSIS Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to dedicate staff and resources to sepsis, create an education program to help hospitals adopt best practices for prevention and treatment, and provide Congress with updates on progress toward reducing deaths and complications. The bill also calls for the development of a national outcome measure and creates a recognition program to highlight hospitals with effective prevention and treatment efforts.

Sepsis is the body’s extreme reaction to infection and is one of the leading causes of death in hospitals, killing more than 350,000 Americans each year and costing the health care system billions.

In April 2025, Norcross was hospitalized with a gallbladder infection that developed into sepsis, leaving him in critical condition. He has since made a full recovery, but his experience highlighted the urgent need for more national attention on sepsis prevention and treatment.

Read the one-pager here.

Read the full bill text here.

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) in introducing the legislation in the Senate.

The bill is supported by END Sepsis Inc., Sepsis Alliance, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, New Jersey Hospital Association, and Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America.