Program will be funded at the highest level in its nearly 30-year history following 25 percent funding increase
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Health Committee, announced that she secured the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) through December 31, 2026, at $200 million per year—a $40 million increase and the highest funding level in the program’s history. This reauthorization was enacted alongside the five-bill funding package that was signed into law earlier this week.
This funding level represents a 25 percent increase over current funding and builds on the $10 million increase Senator Collins secured in March 2024—the first funding increase for the Special Diabetes Program in 20 years.
“The Special Diabetes Program has helped drive remarkable progress in preventing, treating, and managing diabetes, while supporting critical research toward a cure for Type 1 diabetes and improving care in Native American communities,” said Senator Collins. “This historic funding increase will allow the SDP to continue delivering life-saving advances and support for those living with diabetes. I will continue to champion investments that support Americans living with this disease.”
“Breakthrough T1D is thrilled that the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) has been extended through December 2026 and that its funding has been increased, ensuring critical type 1 diabetes (T1D) research advances,” said Breakthrough T1D CEO Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D. “Beyond the SDP, this legislation strengthens investments in health research and includes provisions to accelerate progress toward T1D cures and therapies. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the tireless work of Senator Susan Collins, who has been a steadfast champion for the T1D community for years. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and continued commitment to advancing and accelerating T1D research.”
“The Special Diabetes Program provides needed funding for type 1 diabetes research and type 2 diabetes prevention, education, and treatment programs for indigenous communities,” said the Endocrine Society’s Chief Medical Officer Robert W. Lash, M.D. “We applaud Senator Collins and Senator Shaheen for their work to secure this critical funding increase. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to this valuable program and for their championing of diabetes research, prevention, and care. This work has made a difference in the lives of millions of Americans with diabetes.”
Since 1997, the Special Diabetes Program—comprised of the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI)—has delivered meaningful research breakthroughs and resources for individuals with Type 1 diabetes and for Native American and Alaska Native communities.
As a co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, Senator Collins has long worked to raise awareness of the threats posed by diabetes, strengthen research investments, and improve access to treatment. Last July, Senators Collins and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation to reauthorize the SDP during the week of the Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress before program funding expired in September 2025. Prior to securing the funding increase in this week’s legislative package, Senator Collins secured extensions of the SDP and SDP-I in past continuing resolutions to ensure the program continued uninterrupted.
Senators Collins and Shaheen also introduced the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act to expand Medicare coverage for diabetes self-management training (DSMT) sessions, and the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act to improve care for patients with diabetes by allowing nurse practitioners and physician associates/physician assistants to prescribe therapeutic shoes.
###