The Health Committee of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill establishing guidelines for the care of people who stutter in the Unified Health System (SUS), Brazil’s public health system. The decision concerned a substitute version of Bill 4201/24.
The rapporteur, Deputy Geraldo Resende (União-MS), presented the new version. The original proposal, by Deputy Juninho do Pneu (PSDB-RJ), called for a stuttering care policy. The substitute establishes guidelines integrated into the SUS, without creating a policy with a specific name.
Resende justified the change by citing the need to avoid excessive fragmentation of health legislation. According to him, measures for this population can be guided by existing policies. The text reflects the removal of articles on combating bullying in schools, previously made by the Education Committee; the rapporteur said the issue is already addressed by Law 13.185/15.
The proposal is being considered under a conclusive procedure and will next go to the Finance and Taxation Committee and the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee. To become law, it must be approved by the Chamber and the Senate.
