[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6829 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.6829
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-four
An Act
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize and support the
creation and dissemination of cardiomyopathy education, awareness, and
risk assessment materials and resources to identify more at-risk
families, to authorize research and surveillance activities relating to
cardiomyopathy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cardiomyopathy Health Education,
Awareness, and Research, and AED Training in the Schools Act of 2024''
or the ``HEARTS Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. CARDIOMYOPATHY HEALTH EDUCATION, AWARENESS, AND RESEARCH, AND
AED TRAINING IN SCHOOLS.
(a) Amendment.--The Public Health Service Act is amended by
inserting after section 312 (42 U.S.C. 244) the following:
``SEC. 312A. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES TO INCREASE EDUCATION AND
AWARENESS OF CARDIOMYOPATHY AMONG SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, EDUCATORS, AND
FAMILIES.
``(a) Materials and Resources.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of the HEARTS Act of 2024, the Secretary, in
consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall develop public education materials and resources to
be disseminated to school administrators, educators, school health
professionals, coaches, families, guardians, caregivers, and other
appropriate individuals. The materials and resources shall include--
``(1) information on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors
associated with high-risk cardiac conditions and genetic heart
rhythm abnormalities that may cause sudden cardiac arrest in
children, adolescents, and young adults, including--
``(A) cardiomyopathy;
``(B) long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic
polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, short QT syndrome, and
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; and
``(C) other high-risk cardiac conditions, as determined by
the Secretary;
``(2) guidelines regarding the placement of automated external
defibrillators in schools, early childhood education programs, and
child care centers;
``(3) training information on automated external defibrillators
and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and
``(4) recommendations for how schools, early childhood
education programs, and child care centers can develop and
implement a cardiac emergency response plan.
``(b) Dissemination of Materials and Resources.--Not later than 30
months after the date of the enactment of the HEARTS Act of 2024, the
Secretary shall disseminate the materials and resources developed under
subsection (a) in accordance with the following:
``(1) Distribution by state educational agencies.--The
Secretary shall make available such materials and resources to
State educational agencies to distribute--
``(A) to school administrators, educators, school health
professionals, coaches, families, guardians, caregivers, and
other appropriate individuals, the information developed under
subsection (a)(1);
``(B) to parents, guardians, or other caregivers, the
cardiomyopathy risk assessment developed pursuant to section
312B(b)(1); and
``(C) to school administrators, educators, school health
professionals, and coaches--
``(i) the guidelines described in subsection (a)(2);
``(ii) the training information described in subsection
(a)(3); and
``(iii) the recommendations described in subsection
(a)(4).
``(2) Dissemination to health departments and professionals.--
The Secretary shall make available the materials and resources
developed under subsection (a) to State and local health
departments, pediatricians, hospitals, and other health
professionals, such as nurses and first responders.
``(3) Posting on website.--
``(A) CDC.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary, through the Director,
shall post the materials and resources developed under
subsection (a) on the public Internet website of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(ii) Additional information.--The Director is
encouraged to maintain on such public Internet website such
additional information regarding cardiomyopathy as deemed
appropriate by the Director.
``(B) State educational agencies.--State educational
agencies are encouraged to create public Internet webpages
dedicated to cardiomyopathy and post the materials and
resources developed under subsection (a) on such webpages.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `cardiomyopathy' means a heart disease that
affects the heart's muscle (myocardium)--
``(A) the symptoms of which may vary from case to case,
including--
``(i) cases in which no symptoms are present
(asymptomatic); and
``(ii) cases in which there are symptoms of a
progressive condition that may result from an impaired
ability of the heart to pump blood, such as fatigue,
irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia), heart failure, and,
potentially, sudden cardiac death; and
``(B) the recognized types of which include dilated,
hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic right ventricular
dysplasia, and left ventricular non-compaction.
``(2) The term `Director' means the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
``(3) The terms `early childhood education program',
`elementary school', and `secondary school' have the meanings given
to those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965.
``(4) The term `school administrator' means a principal,
director, manager, or other supervisor or leader within an
elementary school, secondary school, State-based early childhood
education program, or child care center.
``(5) The term `school health professional' means a health
professional serving at an elementary school, secondary school,
State-based early childhood education program, or child care
center.
``SEC. 312B. ACTIVITIES RELATING TO CARDIOMYOPATHY.
``(a) Report on CDC National Cardiomyopathy Activities.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of the HEARTS Act of 2024, the Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall submit to Congress a report on findings generated
from existing activities conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to improve the understanding of the
prevalence and epidemiology of cardiomyopathy across the lifespan,
from birth to adulthood, with particular interest in the following:
``(A) The natural history of individuals with
cardiomyopathy, in both the pediatric and adult population.
``(B) Estimates of cardiomyopathy-related emergency
department visits and hospitalizations, in both the pediatric
and adult population.
``(2) Public access.--Subject to paragraph (3), the report
submitted under this subsection shall be made available to the
public.
``(3) Privacy protections.--The Secretary shall ensure that
this subsection is carried out in a manner that complies with all
applicable privacy laws under Federal and State law.
``(b) Improving Risk Assessments for Individuals With
Cardiomyopathy.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop and make
publicly available a cardiomyopathy risk assessment for health care
providers and individuals. Such risk assessment shall, at a
minimum, include the following:
``(A) Background information on the prevalence, incidence,
and health impact of cardiomyopathy, including all forms of
cardiomyopathy and their effects on pediatric, adolescent, and
adult individuals.
``(B) A worksheet with variables and conditions for an
individual or health care provider to use in assessing whether
an individual is at risk for cardiomyopathy.
``(C) A worksheet with variables and stages of progression
for an individual or health care provider to use in assessing
whether and to what extent cardiomyopathy has progressed in an
individual.
``(D) Guidelines on cardiomyopathy screenings for
individuals who are at risk for, or have a family history of,
cardiomyopathy.
``(2) Stakeholder input.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall
seek input from external stakeholders including--
``(A) representatives from national patient advocacy
organizations expert in all forms of cardiomyopathy;
``(B) representatives from medical professional societies
that specialize in the care of adults and pediatrics with
cardiomyopathy; and
``(C) representatives from other relevant Federal agencies.
``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `cardiomyopathy' has
the meaning given to such term in section 312A.
``SEC. 312C. CARDIOMYOPATHY RESEARCH.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Director
of the National Institutes of Health, may expand and coordinate
research and related activities of the National Institutes of Health
with respect to cardiomyopathy, which may include research with respect
to--
``(1) causation of cardiomyopathy, including genetic causes and
molecular biomarkers;
``(2) long-term health outcomes in individuals with
cardiomyopathy, including infants, children, teenagers, adults, and
elderly individuals; and
``(3) studies using longitudinal data and retrospective
analysis to identify effective treatments and outcomes for
individuals with cardiomyopathy.
``(b) Nonduplication.--The Secretary shall ensure that any research
and activities related to cardiomyopathy under this section do not
unnecessarily duplicate activities, programs, or efforts of other
agencies and offices within the Department of Health and Human
Services.
``(c) NIH Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the
enactment of the HEARTS Act of 2024, the Secretary, in consultation
with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall submit to
Congress a report--
``(1) outlining the ongoing research efforts of the National
Institutes of Health regarding cardiomyopathy; and
``(2) identifying--
``(A) a research agenda regarding adult forms of
cardiomyopathy;
``(B) plans for researching cardiomyopathy affecting the
pediatric population; and
``(C) the areas of greatest need for such research.
``(d) Cardiomyopathy Defined.--In this section, the term
`cardiomyopathy' has the meaning given to such term in section 312A.
``SEC. 312D. PROMOTING STUDENT ACCESS TO AEDS AND CPR.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to eligible
entities to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote
student access to automated external defibrillators (in this section
referred to as `AEDs') and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (in this
section referred to as `CPR') in public elementary schools and
secondary schools.
``(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under
subsection (a) may use funds received through such grant to carry out
any of the following activities:
``(1) Developing and providing comprehensive materials to
establish AED and CPR programs in public elementary schools and
secondary schools.
``(2) Providing support for CPR and AED training programs in
such schools for students, staff, and related sports volunteers.
``(3) Providing support for developing a cardiac emergency
response plan within such schools.
``(4) Purchasing AEDs that have been approved under section 515
of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, cleared under section
510(k) of such Act, or classified under section 513(f)(2) of such
Act.
``(5) Purchasing necessary AED batteries and performing
necessary AED maintenance (such as by replacing AED pads) in
accordance with the labeling of the AED involved.
``(6) Replacing old and outdated AED and CPR equipment,
machinery, and educational materials.
``(c) Eligibility; Application.--To be eligible for a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall--
``(1) be a local educational agency (including a public charter
school operating as a local educational agency under State law), in
consultation with a qualified health care entity; and
``(2) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
reasonably require.
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) ESEA terms.--The terms `elementary school', `local
educational agency', and `secondary school' have the meanings given
such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965.
``(2) Qualified health care entity.--The term `qualified health
care entity' means a health care entity that--
``(A) is--
``(i) a public entity; or
``(ii) an organization that is described in section
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from
taxation under section 501(a) of such Code;
``(B) demonstrates an ability to develop, train, and
implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to
defibrillation in public elementary and secondary schools; and
``(C) is qualified in providing technical assistance in AED
and CPR training.''.
(b) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out sections 312A, 312B, 312C, and 312D of the
Public Health Service Act, as inserted by subsection (a).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.