HEARD Act of 2025
HEARD Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# HEARD Act of 2025 Summary **What the bill does:** The HEARD Act (Health Equity and Rare Disease Act) would establish federal grants and programs to study and address rare diseases—those affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans—with a specific focus on how they impact racial and ethnic minority communities. The bill would fund data collection, public awareness campaigns, research training, and scholarships to increase minority representation in rare disease research and healthcare. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily benefits patients in minority communities dealing with rare diseases, as well as medical schools, tribal health organizations, and healthcare professionals.
It would also support tribal epidemiology centers and urban Indian health centers in conducting research specific to Native American communities. **Key provisions:** The bill funds grants to nonprofits and health schools, offers loan repayment and scholarships for medical students willing to work with rare disease populations, and aims to coordinate research efforts across government agencies. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House.
CRS Official Summary
Health Equity and Rare Disease Act of 2025 or the HEARD Act of 2025This bill establishes Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and other initiatives to address rare diseases or conditions (e.g., those affecting less than 200,000 people in the United States) in racial and ethnic minority populations. For example, to advance such purposes, the bill establishes within HHSgrants to public and private nonprofit entities for data collection and public outreach,grants to health professions schools to improve health care and minority representation in research regarding rare diseases and conditions,grants to tribal epidemiology centers and tribal and urban Indian health centers for research regarding rare diseases and conditions in tribal communities,scholarships and educational loan repayment for medical school students who agree to work as health care professionals serving populations with rare diseases or conditions,initiatives to coordinate research and other activities across the National Institutes of Health, andpublic health awareness and education campaigns.Also, the bill requires HHS to submit various reports to Congress on topics including (1) the federal government’s research and public health activities regarding rare diseases or conditions in minority populations, (2) regulatory barriers to treating rare diseases in Medicare beneficiaries of color, and (3) strategies for research and development of treatments for rare diseases or conditions that disproportionately impact minority populations.
Latest Action
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.