Why It Matters
The Parkinson's Foundation quadrupled its lobbying spending in the third quarter, reaching $240,000, as it broadened its federal agenda to include medication affordability, clinical trial access, and H-1B visa rules affecting the physician workforce. The third-quarter filing included three issue areas, medical and disease research, pharmacy, and immigration, that were absent from the second-quarter filing, putting the foundation formally on record across a wider set of active policy debates.
By the Numbers
The third-quarter filing, signed Oct. 20, reports $240,000 in lobbying expenditures. That is up $180,000 from the $60,000 reported in the second quarter. It is $20,000 less than the $260,000 reported in the first quarter. The cited record contains no 2025 filings, so no year-over-year comparison is available.
The foundation files in-house, with no outside firms identified in the cited filings. Erin O'Quinn, the foundation's associate vice president of federal public policy, is the sole lobbyist named on the third-quarter filing. O'Quinn previously served as congressional staffer for Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA), with a reported total service of 10 years and four months across the 113th through 118th Congresses.
Broader Context
Toxic exposures and pesticide policy
The filing covers efforts to reduce toxic exposures, specifically trichloroethylene (TCE) and paraquat, as risk factors for Parkinson's disease in both general and agricultural settings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in November 2025 that its updated paraquat review found greater uncertainty about potential volatilization and would request additional manufacturer data before issuing a final registration-review decision. EPA also postponed, as of May, the effective date of conditions attached to TCE exemptions pending judicial review.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) said in February that it and its partners were urging federal action to restrict or ban paraquat, citing evidence linking environmental exposures to Parkinson's risk and noting that the herbicide had been banned in more than 70 countries. The American Council on Science and Health argued in June that the evidence linking paraquat to Parkinson's was not strong enough to justify broad bans before federal review concluded.
Research funding and legislation
The filing calls for increased funding for Parkinson's programs, including the Department of Veterans Affairs' Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs) and VA Neurology Centers of Excellence. The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) reported in February that the fiscal 2026 spending package restored $16 million for the Defense Department's Parkinson's Research Program and provided $5 million each for the National Advisory Council on Parkinson's Research, Care, and Services and the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) introduced H.R. 7779, the HEALTHY BRAINS Act, on March 3. The House referred the bill to the Energy and Commerce Committee, with no subsequent action recorded in the cited legislative account.
Pharmacy and immigration
The filing adds pharmacy issues covering clinical trials, medication affordability, and access for people with Parkinson's disease, as well as immigration issues focused on H-1B visa rules that the foundation says affect health care workforce shortages.
The Bottom Line
The next decision points on toxic exposures include EPA's pending final paraquat registration-review decision, for which the agency requested additional manufacturer data, and resolution of the judicial review governing TCE exemption conditions. The cited legislative account notes that H.R. 7779 was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with no subsequent committee or floor action identified. Across the three complete quarters, the foundation has identified a single in-house lobbyist in the cited filings.
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