FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Southeastern Colon Cancer Consortium presented Representative Amy Neighbors of Edmonton with the Legislative Champion Award on Wednesday for her work advancing colorectal cancer prevention and screening access across Kentucky, according to a statement from the Kentucky House Majority Caucus.

Neighbors, a colorectal cancer survivor, championed House Bill 421 during the 2025 legislative session, which made Kentucky one of the strongest states in the nation in the fight against colorectal cancer. The law, effective January 1, restructured Kentucky's colorectal cancer screening framework around risk-based guidelines and expanded coverage protections for high-risk individuals, particularly those with a family history of the disease.

"My perspective as a colorectal cancer survivor has shaped my focus on prevention and on making sure people can get screened before the disease progresses," Neighbors said in a statement.

The legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, clearing the House 98-0 and the Senate unanimously. It requires health benefit plans to cover all colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests specified in U.S. Multi-Society Task Force guidelines, while prohibiting prior authorization requirements and cost-sharing such as deductibles and copayments.

The law eliminates a one-size-fits-all approach and instead offers multiple screening options, including colonoscopy, stool-based tests, and blood-based options for average-risk individuals. Under the new risk-based framework, people with a family history of colorectal cancer or advanced adenomas begin screening at age 40 or ten years before a relative's diagnosis.

The legislation is expected to particularly benefit rural communities, Appalachia, and underserved populations across Kentucky, where colorectal cancer rates remain elevated. According to research cited in support of the legislation, Kentucky's highest-risk populations—Appalachian communities, rural counties, and urban Black neighborhoods—carry the heaviest burdens of early-onset disease and late-stage diagnoses.

Neighbors has also been appointed to the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention Program Advisory Committee, where she said she will continue working to ensure the law's benefits reach every region of the state.