New Jersey Representatives Donald Norcross (D-1st District) and Thomas Kean Jr. (R-7th District) on Thursday 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.
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.
Norcross said his personal experience made him release the need for the bill.
“Last year, I experienced a medical emergency on an airplane and developed sepsis, a medical condition caused by a severe infection,” he said. “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.
“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.”
Kean said he was happy to support the issue.
“Sepsis can impact anyone – young or old, sick or healthy – and preventing deaths depends on early recognition and timely intervention,” he said. “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.”
Cathy Bennett, CEO of the N.J. Hospital Association, applauded the announcement.
“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,” she said.
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.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in introducing the legislation in the Senate.
“We know that early detection and treatment of sepsis is key to saving someone’s life,” Kim said. “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.”
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.
