Introduced in Senate

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5469 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5469

   To establish the Heart Security Foundation, a federally chartered 
                 charitable and nonprofit corporation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 23, 2026

Mr. Tillis (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Heart Security Foundation, a federally chartered 
                 charitable and nonprofit corporation.

    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 ``Heart Event Avoidance, Research, and 
Treatment Foundation Act'' or the ``HEART Foundation Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF AND GRANT OF FEDERAL CHARTER FOR HEART 
              SECURITY FOUNDATION.

    Title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

                  ``PART K--HEART SECURITY FOUNDATION

``SEC. 499B. ESTABLISHMENT OF AND GRANT OF FEDERAL CHARTER FOR HEART 
              SECURITY FOUNDATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
NIH, shall establish a nonprofit corporation to be known as the Heart 
Security Foundation (referred to in this section as the `Foundation'). 
The Foundation shall be organized under the laws of the District of 
Columbia and is a federally chartered corporation, but is not an agency 
or instrumentality of the United States. The Foundation is fully 
responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Foundation are--
            ``(1) to raise and administer private capital to accelerate 
        cardiovascular research;
            ``(2) to provide targeted grant support to research 
        institutions in the United States;
            ``(3) to prioritize high-impact biomarker research linked 
        to early-onset cardiovascular events;
            ``(4) to coordinate, if appropriate and practicable, with 
        the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
        for data alignment and reporting; and
            ``(5) to improve accessibility of validated research 
        findings consistent with Federal ethics standards.
    ``(c) Board of Directors.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Foundation shall have a Board of 
        Directors (referred to in this subsection as the `Board').
            ``(2) Membership.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Board shall consist of 5 
                members to be appointed by the Director of NIH, at 
                least 3 of whom shall have demonstrated expertise in 
                one or more of the following areas:
                            ``(i) Cardiovascular research.
                            ``(ii) Genetic biomarker science.
                            ``(iii) Longitudinal cohort studies.
                            ``(iv) Translational medicine.
                            ``(v) Clinical epidemiology.
                    ``(B) Nonvoting member.--The Director of NIH shall 
                serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the Board.
                    ``(C) Compensation.--Members of the Board shall 
                serve without compensation, but may receive 
                reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses.
            ``(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A member of the Board shall 
                serve for a 4-year term and may not serve more than 2 
                consecutive terms.
                    ``(B) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Board--
                            ``(i) shall not affect the powers of the 
                        Board; and
                            ``(ii) shall be filled in the same manner 
                        as the original appointment.
            ``(4) Chair.--The Director of NIH shall appoint the initial 
        Chair from among the members of the Board. The Board shall 
        select subsequent Chairs from among the members of the Board.
            ``(5) Conflicts of interest standards.--The members of the 
        Board shall comply with all applicable conflict of interest 
        standards.
            ``(6) Audits.--The Board shall ensure that annual 
        independent financial audits are carried out with respect to 
        the activities of the Foundation.
            ``(7) Duties of board.--The Board shall--
                    ``(A) complete the organization of the Foundation;
                    ``(B) adopt bylaws for the Foundation that are 
                consistent with purposes described in subsection (b);
                    ``(C) appoint an executive director and such other 
                personnel as may be necessary to enable the Foundation 
                to perform its duties; and
                    ``(D) establish procedures for awarding grants and 
                contracts.
    ``(d) Restrictions.--The Foundation shall not--
            ``(1) engage in political advocacy;
            ``(2) fund community organizing;
            ``(3) conduct lifestyle or public messaging campaigns that 
        are unrelated to research; or
            ``(4) operate as a health care provider or insurance 
        entity.
    ``(e) Funding.--The Foundation may--
            ``(1) accept and use private donations; and
            ``(2) apply for Federal research grants.
    ``(f) No Federal Employment.--Officers, employees, and members of 
the Board of the Foundation shall not be considered officers or 
employees of the Federal Government.
    ``(g) Reports.--The Foundation shall submit to Congress and the 
Secretary an annual report that describes--
            ``(1) funds raised during the preceding year;
            ``(2) grants awarded during the preceding year; and
            ``(3) outcomes and measurable impact of research supported 
        by the Foundation.
    ``(h) Relief.--If the Foundation acts outside its statutory 
purpose, the Attorney General may seek equitable relief.
    ``(i) Process for Establishment of Foundation.--The Secretary, 
acting through the Director of NIH, shall carry out such activities as 
are necessary to incorporate the Foundation under the laws of the 
District of Columbia and to otherwise provide for the establishment of 
the Foundation, including the following activities:
            ``(1) Ensuring that the articles of incorporation for the 
        Foundation require that the Foundation be established and 
        operated in accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Ensuring that the Foundation is established as an 
        organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and is exempt from taxation 
        under section 501(a) of such Code.
            ``(3) Providing for the initial operation of the 
        Foundation, including providing for quarters, equipment, and 
        staff.''.
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