I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2130
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for expanding, intensify-
ing, and coordinating activities of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute with respect to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular
diseases in women.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 9, 1997
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BOUCHER, Ms. BROWN of
Florida, Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Ms. CARSON, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr.
CLYBURN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms.
DEGETTE, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA,
Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FROST, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms.
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia,
Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MALONEY
of New York, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs. MORELLA,
Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. ROYBAL-AL-
LARD, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. STOKES, Mr.
THOMPSON, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. WATT of North Caro-
lina, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. DIXON, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FATTAH,
Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FORD, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecti-
cut, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. OWENS,
Mr. PASTOR, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SERRANO, Ms.
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. WEYGAND, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. WYNN,
Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. CAPPS, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. SHERMAN,
Mr. GREEN, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. JEFFERSON, and Mr. MATSUI) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Com-
merce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
expanding, intensifying, and coordinating activities of the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with respect
to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
in women.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Cardio-
vascular Diseases Research and Prevention Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows with respect to women
in the United States:
(1) Heart attack, stroke, and other cardio-
vascular diseases are the leading causes of death in
women.
(2) Heart attacks and strokes are leading
causes of disability in women.
(3) Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of
more women each year than does cancer. Each year
more than 500,000 females die of cardiovascular dis-
eases, while approximately 254,000 females die of
cancer. Heart attack kills more than 51⁄2 times as
many females as breast cancer. Stroke kills twice as
many females as breast cancer.
(4) More than 1 in 5 females has some form of
cardiovascular disease. Of females under age 65,
each year approximately 20,000 die of heart attacks.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES
REGARDING HEART ATTACK, STROKE AND
OTHER 
CARDIOVASCULAR 
DISEASES 
IN
WOMEN.
Subpart 2 of part C of title IV of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b et seq.) is amended by insert-
ing after section 424 the following section:
‘‘HEART ATTACK, STROKE, AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES IN WOMEN
‘‘SEC. 424A. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the
Institute shall expand, intensify, and coordinate research
and related activities of the Institute with respect to heart
attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in
women.
‘‘(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTES.—
The Director of the Institute shall coordinate activities
under subsection (a) with similar activities conducted by
the other national research institutes and agencies of the
National Institutes of Health to the extent that such Insti-
tutes and agencies have responsibilities that are related
to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
in women.
‘‘(c) CERTAIN PROGRAMS.—In carrying out sub-
section (a), the Director of the Institute shall conduct or
support research to expand the understanding of the
causes of, and to develop methods for preventing, cardio-
vascular diseases in women. Activities under such sub-
section shall include conducting and supporting the follow-
ing:
‘‘(1) Research to determine the reasons under-
lying the prevalence of heart attack, stroke, and
other cardiovascular diseases in women, including
African-American women and other women who are
members of racial or ethnic minority groups.
‘‘(2) Basic research concerning the etiology and
causes of cardiovascular diseases in women.
‘‘(3) Epidemiological studies to address the fre-
quency and natural history of such diseases and the
differences among men and women, and among ra-
cial and ethnic groups, with respect to such diseases.
‘‘(4) The development of safe, efficient, and
cost-effective diagnostic approaches to evaluating
women with suspected ischemic heart disease.
‘‘(5) Clinical research for the development and
evaluation of new treatments for women, including
rehabilitation.
‘‘(6) Studies to gain a better understanding of
methods of preventing cardiovascular diseases in
women, including applications of effective methods
for the control of blood pressure, lipids, and obesity.
‘‘(7) Information and education programs for
patients and health care providers on risk factors as-
sociated with heart attack, stroke, and other cardio-
vascular diseases in women, and on the importance
of the prevention or control of such risk factors and
timely referral with appropriate diagnosis and treat-
ment. Such programs shall include information and
education on health-related behaviors that can im-
prove such important risk factors as smoking, obe-
sity, high blood cholesterol, and lack of exercise.
‘‘(d) ACTIVITIES REGARDING HORMONE REPLACE-
MENT THERAPY.—Activities carried out under subsection
(c) shall include information and education programs for
patients and health care providers on the benefits and
risks of hormone replacement therapy and the role of such
therapy in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in
women.
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized
to be appropriated $140,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
1999 and 2000. The authorization of appropriations es-
tablished in the preceding sentence is in addition to any
other authorization of appropriation that is available for
such purpose.’’.
Æ