New Orleans Saints

U.S. House officially passes the Steve Gleason Act

Published Jul. 15, 2015 7:59 p.m. ET

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In possibly the coolest piece of news to come out of the NFL all offseason (or possibly ever), the U.S. House has officially passed the Steve Gleason Act, according to Juan Sanchez of WDSU News.

The announcement was made by Senator David Vitter, and next up is President Barack Obama, who will sign the act into law. For those who don't know exactly what the Steve Gleason Act is, Sanchez explains it in-depth here.

"Majority Whip Steve Scalise said the Steve Gleason Act will ensure that people with disabilities have more opportunities when they seek treatments, cures and independence. The bill, known as the Steve Gleason Act of 2015, was sponsored by Sen. David Vitter and other co-sponsors."

It's an absolutely great story to read. The idea is that relief will be brought to patients who have been denied things such as speech-generating devices, which Gleason uses, through Medicare and Medicaid. It was called a "huge victory for ALS patients" by Vitter, and should truly help people all across the country.

Gleason, who played for the New Orleans Saints from 2000-08 and is battling ALS, posted the following message on TeamGleason.org:

Congrats to Steve Gleason for pushing the Steve Gleason Act, and we're all glad to see this become officially pushed into law.

(h/t WDSU News)