WASHINGTON, DC — College of American Pathologists (CAP) President Patrick Godbey, MD, FCAP issued the following statement after the release of the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2020 on March 5:
“As the leader in laboratory quality and improvement programs, the CAP remains committed to supporting a legislative plan for LDTs that focuses on protecting patients and providing access to reliable diagnostic tests under an oversight framework that minimizes administrative burdens for laboratories. Any new LDT oversight framework must leverage existing processes that are proven to ensure quality tests for patients while mitigating new costs for the implementation of added requirements. The CAP had provided its initial feedback to the bill’s sponsors and it is clear they are listening to stakeholder input. The CAP views the latest version of the VALID Act as another step in the right direction toward ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place for patients.
“The CAP appreciates the changes from previous versions of the bill so that it now relies on current regulatory structures and directs the administration to ensure there is no duplication between CLIA and FDA requirements. We look forward to providing our comments as we meet with patients, the physician community, and members of Congress.”
About the College of American Pathologists
As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. As a 501(c)(6) membership organization, the CAP is the only entity representing pathologists with unrestricted advocacy capability and a political action committee, PathPAC. For more information, visit yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care. Read the CAP Annual Report at cap.org.