Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7189) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a national congenital heart disease research, surveillance, and awareness program, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7189

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 ``Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024''. SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH, SURVEILLANCE, AND AWARENESS PROGRAM. Section 399V-2 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-13) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections (g) and (h), respectively;

(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

``(f) Report and Strategy.--

``(1) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024, the Secretary shall issue a report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate including the following:

``(A) A description of past and present activities of the Department of Health and Human Services to increase awareness and knowledge of the public with respect to congenital heart disease, including efforts to address the lifelong needs of congenital heart disease patients.

``(B) An assessment of past and present activities of the Department of Health and Human Services to increase education and training of health care providers with respect to congenital heart disease, including efforts to address the lifelong needs of congenital heart disease patients.

``(C) A description of the current workforce capacity in the United States of health care providers who treat adult patients living with congenital heart disease.

``(2) Strategy.--

``(A) Development; submission to congress.--Not later than 1 year after submitting the report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall develop and submit to Congress a strategy for improving efforts to increase awareness and knowledge of the public and education and training of health care providers with respect to congenital heart disease. Such strategy shall include findings and recommendations to--

``(i) address any public awareness and research gaps and opportunities related to the lifelong needs of congenital heart disease patients, including long-term health outcomes, quality of life, mental health, and health care utilization;

``(ii) address any shortages in the current workforce of health care providers who treat adult patients living with congenital heart disease, which may include strategies to enhance fellowship training programs or other continuing education programs; and

``(iii) foster collaboration and dissemination of information across Federal agencies, health care providers, researchers, and patient organizations.

``(B) Consultation.--In developing the strategy under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, as appropriate, consult with qualified stakeholder groups, including patient organizations, health care professionals, research entities, health insurance providers, accrediting organizations, and relevant Federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.''; and

(3) in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by striking ``2020 through 2024'' and inserting ``2025 through 2029''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 7189, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024, and I urge my colleagues to support this particular bill.

This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will reauthorize a national congenital heart disease research, surveillance, and awareness program at HHS for the next 5 years through FY 2029.

I am so proud to have been involved in the creation of this pivotal program and its reauthorization efforts, and I am grateful to my colleagues on this bill; Representatives Schiff, Carter, Soto, Salazar, and Cardenas, as well as our bicameral partners, Senators Durbin and Young, and I thank them for their efforts.

I have been glad to lead the Congressional Congenital Heart Caucus with Representative Schiff. Over the last years, we have become all too familiar with the struggles this patient community faces on a daily basis, unfortunately.

In particular, I also thank the broad set of stakeholders that support this initiative and the thousands of advocates speaking on behalf of the approximately 2 million patients living with congenital heart defects.

This includes the Adult Congenital Heart Association, Conquering CHD, Mended Little Hearts, and The Children's Heart Foundation.

I thank them for their partnership on this issue and again for support of this bill. We have to get this done together, folks. Let's pass this in a bipartisan fashion.

Now, the advocates that come up here do an outstanding job for family members and friends that have congenital heart defects as well as the patients.

In the United States, more than 40,000 babies are born with heart defects each year, making it the most common type of birth defect.

It is estimated that more than 2 million people are currently living with a heart defect nationwide, but thankfully, they are living much longer into adulthood.

Thankfully, medical care and treatments have advanced. Individuals with heart defects, as I said, are living longer and healthier lives. Thank goodness.

This bill will continue the support for research and education regarding congenital heart disease and the impact heart defects have on individuals throughout every stage of life.

It would also require HHS to develop a strategy to address any research gaps and workforce shortages, particularly as it relates to healthcare providers who treat adult patients living with congenital heart disease.

Importantly, this strategy will be developed with the input of expert stakeholder groups and relevant Federal entities.

I urge my colleagues to support this particular bill. It is so very important, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this particular bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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