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S. 5469Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

HEART Foundation Act

A bill to establish the Heart Security Foundation, a federally chartered charitable and nonprofit corporation.

Also known as Heart Event Avoidance, Research, and Treatment Foundation Act

Sponsored by Thom TillisSen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Introduced September 23, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 30, 2026 at 5:52 AM UTC

The HEART Foundation Act creates the Heart Security Foundation, a federally chartered nonprofit that is not a government agency. The Foundation’s job is to raise private money and give grants to U.S. research institutions to speed up cardiovascular research, especially early‑onset biomarker studies, and to work with the CDC on data sharing. It affects researchers, research institutions, donors, and the NIH that oversees the Foundation.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary, through the NIH Director, will incorporate the Heart Security Foundation in D.C. as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a federal charter.
  • The Foundation’s purposes are to raise and manage private capital for cardiovascular research, award targeted grants, prioritize high‑impact biomarker work, coordinate data reporting with the CDC, and make validated findings widely accessible.
  • A Board of Directors of five members (appointed by the NIH Director) with expertise in cardiovascular science, genetics, epidemiology, etc., will serve four‑year terms, may serve two consecutive terms, and includes the NIH Director as a non‑voting ex‑officio member.
  • The Foundation may accept private donations and apply for federal research grants, but it cannot engage in political advocacy, community organizing, unrelated public‑messaging campaigns, or operate as a health‑care provider or insurer.
  • Board members serve without salary (travel costs reimbursed) and must follow conflict‑of‑interest rules, conduct annual independent audits, and adopt bylaws and grant procedures.
  • The Foundation must submit an annual report to Congress and the Secretary detailing funds raised, grants awarded, and research outcomes; the Attorney General can seek relief if the Foundation acts outside its purpose.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 23, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 23, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 23, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 23, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5469

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.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Heart Event Avoidance, Research, and Treatment Foundation Act or the HEART Foundation Act.

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:

K

Heart Security Foundation

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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