[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5861 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5861

    To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an 
  agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
 Medicine to conduct a study on establishing a system for storing last 
                wish documents, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 28, 2025

Mr. Suozzi (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an 
  agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
 Medicine to conduct a study on establishing a system for storing last 
                wish documents, 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 ``Legacy Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON ESTABLISHING SYSTEM FOR STORING AND RETRIEVING LAST 
              WISH DOCUMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academies under which the National 
Academies conduct a study on establishing and maintaining a national, 
confidential, and secure system for storing and retrieving by an 
authorized agent a last wish document of an individual, at no cost to 
such individual.
    (b) Submission of Status and Results.--The agreement entered into 
under subsection (a) shall require the National Academies to submit to 
the Secretary and Congress--
            (1) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, the status of the study conducted under such 
        agreement; and
            (2) not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, the results of the study conducted under such 
        agreement.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Last wish document.--The term ``last wish document'' 
        includes--
                    (A) an advance directive;
                    (B) an organ donor registration;
                    (C) a healthcare or medical proxy;
                    (D) a power of attorney; or
                    (E) a living will.
            (2) National academies.--The term ``National Academies'' 
        means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
        Medicine.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
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