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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 SCR 5 3
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By: Senators Irvin, B. Davis, J. English 5
By: Representatives Barker, Bentley, A. Brown, K. Brown, R. Burkes, Cavenaugh, Crawford, Dalby, 6
Duke, Henley, Lundstrum, J. Mayberry, McAlindon, K. Moore, Vaught 7
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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 9
TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE PURSUIT OF NATIONAL 10
CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION BY THE WINTHROP P. 11
ROCKEFELLER CANCER INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 12
ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE PURSUIT OF 17
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION BY 18
THE WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER CANCER 19
INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS 20
FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES. 21
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WHEREAS, in 2025, the American Cancer Society estimates that nineteen 23
thousand seven hundred (19,700) Arkansans will be diagnosed with cancer; and 24
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WHEREAS, of those seventeen thousand nine hundred eighty (17,980) 26
Arkansans diagnosed with cancer, a large percentage will die of the disease; 27
and 28
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WHEREAS, the four (4) types of cancer with significantly high annual 30
diagnosis rates in Arkansas are: 31
(1) Lung and bronchus cancer, with an estimated two thousand six 32
hundred sixty (2,660) diagnoses; 33
(2) Female breast cancer, with two thousand six hundred ninety 34
(2,690) diagnoses; 35
(3) Prostate cancer, with two thousand nine hundred thirty 36 SCR5
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(2,930) diagnoses; and 1
(4) Colorectal cancer, with one thousand five hundred sixty 2
(1,560) diagnoses; and 3
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WHEREAS, in each category, the diagnosis of cancer has grown in the 5
Arkansas population since 2018; and 6
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WHEREAS, over the past twenty -eight (28) years, nationwide cancer -8
related deaths have decreased by five percent (5%), but in Arkansas the rate 9
of cancer-related deaths has increased by nine percent (9%); and 10
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WHEREAS, only Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma had 12
higher cancer-related death rates in the 2022 than Arkansas; and 13
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WHEREAS, cancer is the second -leading cause of death in Arkansas, only 15
surpassed by coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) during that pandemic, and may become 16
the leading cause of death within the next decade, surpassing the current 17
leading cause, cardiovascular disease, based on diagnosis trends in the State 18
of Arkansas; and 19
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WHEREAS, there are currently seventy -two (72) National Cancer 21
Institute-Designated Cancer Centers, located in thirty -six (36) states and 22
the District of Columbia, including National Cancer Institute -Designated 23
Cancer Centers in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee; and 24
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WHEREAS, there are no National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer 26
Centers in Arkansas, Mississippi, or Louisiana; and 27
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WHEREAS, having a National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Center in 29
Arkansas will improve and expand access to clinical trials, cancer treatment, 30
cancer prevention, cancer screening, and education in Arkansas; and 31
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WHEREAS, a National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Center in 33
Arkansas could serve as a hub of groundbreaking treatments and care for 34
communities around the State of Arkansas; and 35
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WHEREAS, Arkansas cancer patients must currently leave the State of 1
Arkansas to receive treatment at a National Cancer Institute -Designated 2
Cancer Center; and 3
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WHEREAS, National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Centers have 5
expanded treatment options due to research grant funds and experimental 6
trials, and hundreds of research studies are underway at these centers, 7
ranging from basic laboratory research to clinical assessments of new 8
treatments not currently available in Arkansas; and 9
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WHEREAS, having a National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Center in 11
the State of Arkansas would save the lives of thousands of Arkansans through 12
expanded treatment opportunities, including opportunities to participate in 13
experimental cancer treatments; and 14
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WHEREAS, being a National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Center 16
would allow the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of 17
Arkansas for Medical Sciences to be awarded more research funds, which will 18
provide additional experimental cancer treatments in the State of Arkansas; 19
and 20
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WHEREAS, a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center will 22
provide support for cancer treatment providers, clinics, and hospitals in 23
Arkansas; and 24
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WHEREAS, in addition to the human suffering caused by cancer, there are 26
economic costs that result from the disease, including medical costs and the 27
impact on the productivity of the cancer patient and his or her family; and 28
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WHEREAS, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University 30
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is pursuing a designation as a National 31
Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center for the benefit of the more than 32
three million (3,000,000) citizens of Arkansas; and 33
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WHEREAS, the National Cancer Institute recommends that a cancer center 35
have at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in National Cancer Institute -36 SCR5
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funded research; and 1
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WHEREAS, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University 3
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences can apply for only a limited number of 4
National Cancer Institute grant funds because over sixty percent (60%) of the 5
National Cancer Institute's grant applications require that the cancer center 6
be a National Cancer Institute -Designated Cancer Center in order to apply for 7
the grant funds; and 8
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WHEREAS, in late 2019, Dr. Michael Birrer, an internationally known 10
medical oncologist specializing in gynecologic cancers, was named the Vice 11
Chancellor and Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at 12
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and since his joining the 13
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Dr. Birrer has recruited over 14
twenty-five (25) National Cancer Institute -funded laboratory and 15
translational science researchers and fifteen (15) oncologists, formed an 16
external advisory board of cancer center experts, expanded the clinical trial 17
portfolio resulting in two hundred sixty (260) annual accruals, and 18
established a community outreach and engagement program; and 19
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WHEREAS, to be successful in gaining status as a National Cancer 21
Institute-Designated Cancer Center, ongoing, dedicated financial support from 22
the State of Arkansas is critical; and 23
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WHEREAS, the private resources pursued by the Winthrop P. Rockefeller 25
Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are part 26
of a cohesive and focused plan that will forever change the cancer outcomes 27
in the State of Arkansas; and 28
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WHEREAS, it is estimated that having a National Cancer Institute -30
Designated Cancer Center will bring in an additional seventy million dollars 31
($70,000,000) annually to Arkansas’s economy and will create one thousand 32
five hundred eighty-four (1,584) new jobs over five (5) years; and 33
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WHEREAS, since 2019, the General Assembly has unanimously resolved and 35
encouraged the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of 36 SCR5
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Arkansas for Medical Sciences every two (2) years in this pursuit; and 1
2
WHEREAS, the State of Arkansas applauds the Winthrop P. Rockefeller 3
Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences on 4
progress towards filing its application for National Cancer Institute -5
Designated status with the goal of filing during fall 2025 as recommended by 6
its external advisory board; and 7
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WHEREAS, the State of Arkansas recognizes the Winthrop P. Rockefeller 9
Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for 10
achieving its private fundraising goal as established in Acts 2019, No. 181 11
and encourages more private fundraising towards this goal; and 12
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WHEREAS, the State of Arkansas encourages the existing resources of the 14
Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Arkansas Tobacco 15
Settlement Commission, and other such state and other entities to collaborate 16
with and support the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the 17
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in programming and other 18
activities towards this state goal of National Cancer Institute -Designated 19
status for early detection and cancer prevention for all Arkansans; and 20
21
WHEREAS, during the Ninety -Fourth General Assembly, Governor Sarah 22
Huckabee Sanders dedicated one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) toward 23
this effort to ensure that all means necessary were available towards the 24
goal of better cancer detection and prevention in the State of Arkansas for 25
all Arkansans and to help fund the pursuit of National Cancer Institute -26
Designated status for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the 27
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 28
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NOW THEREFORE, 30
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 31
STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN: 32
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THAT the Senate of the Ninety -Fifth General Assembly, the House of 34
Representatives concurring, continue to encourage the pursuit of a National 35
Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller 36 SCR5
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Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 1
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