IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3131 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 29), 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

AN ACT 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 

research and improvement of cardiovascular health 

among the South Asian population of the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘South Asian Heart 

3 Health Awareness and Research Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. HEART HEALTH PROMOTION GRANTS. 

5 Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

6 241 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317U 

7 (42 U.S.C. 247b–23) the following new section: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 317V. HEART HEALTH PROMOTION GRANTS. 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make grants 

10 to States for the purpose of promoting awareness of the 

11 increasing prevalence of heart disease, including, where 

12 appropriate, its relationship to type 2 diabetes, in commu13 nities disproportionately affected by heart disease such as 

14 South Asian communities in the United States. 

15 ‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A State that receives a grant 

16 under subsection (a) shall use such grant funds— 

17 ‘‘(1) to develop culturally appropriate materials 

18 on evidence-based topics such as nutrition education, 

19 optimal diet plans, and programs for regular exer20 cise; 

21 ‘‘(2) to support heart health promotion activi22 ties of community organizations that work with or 

23 serve communities disproportionately affected by 

24 heart disease, such as South Asian communities in 

25 the United States; or 


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1 ‘‘(3) to support conferences or workshops on re2 search practices, methodology, and design to include 

3 more members of communities disproportionately af4 fected by heart disease, such as South Asian com5 munities in the United States, in scientific studies. 

6 ‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

7 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the 

8 South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act 

9 of 2020, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall sub10 mit to Congress a report on outreach efforts and data re11 lating to heart disease in communities disproportionately 

12 affected by heart disease, such as South Asian commu13 nities in the United States. 

14 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

15 purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized 

16 to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

17 2021 through 2025.’’. 

18 SEC. 3. HEART HEALTH RESEARCH. 

19 Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

21 the following new section: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 409K. HEART HEALTH RESEARCH. 

23 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may— 

24 ‘‘(1) conduct or support research and related 

25 activities regarding cardiovascular disease, type 2 diVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:13 Oct 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3131.RFS H3131

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1 abetes, and other heart health-related ailments 

2 among at-risk populations, including South Asian 

3 communities in the United States; and 

4 ‘‘(2) establish an Internet clearinghouse to 

5 catalog existing evidence-based heart health research 

6 and treatment options for communities dispropor7 tionately affected by heart disease, such as South 

8 Asian communities in the United States, to prevent, 

9 treat, or reverse heart disease and diabetes. 

10 ‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

11 purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized 

12 to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

13 2021 through 2025.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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