Future Caucus Member Leads Bipartisan Effort to Address Risk Factors for Heart Disease

UPDATE: As of June 23rd, 2021 the CAROL Act has 102 Republican co-sponsors and 49 Democratic co-sponsors. The bill is active and has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce committee.

On February 22nd, 2021 Congressional Future Caucus member Rep. Andy Barr (KY-6) introduced HR1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act, the “CAROL Act”, in the House of Representatives.

The legislation, inspired by Rep. Barr’s tragic loss of his wife, Carol, to cardiac arrest, would authorize a grant program, administered by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and in coordination with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, to support research on valvular heart disease. 

The bill aims to reduce the number of Americans that die from heart valve disease, primarily due to underdiagnosis and undertreatment of the condition. Each year, over 25,000 Americans die from heart valve disease. The CAROL Act would address gaps in understanding the risks factors surrounding valvular heart disease and how the disease becomes a life threatening condition. 

The grant program would advance research into technological imaging and precision medicine in order to develop prediction models for high risk-patients. The legislation would convene a working group of experts to identify research needs and opportunities and would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase public awareness regarding symptoms of valvular heart disease and strategies to prevent sudden cardiac death. 

The following Future Caucus members co-sponsor the legislation:

• Rep. Blake Moore (UT-1), Future Caucus Co-Chair
• Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (CA-44)
• Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA-2)
• Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-6)
• Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-3)
• Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-7)
• Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11)
• Rep. Jim Banks (IN-3)
• Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13)
• Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-8)
• Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16)
• Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3)
• Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (IN-9)
• Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
• Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18)
• Rep. Peter Meijer (MI-3)
• Rep. Jason Smith (MO-8)
• Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
• Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-1)
• Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY-1)

The CAROL Act has 88 Republican co-sponsors and 42 Democratic co-sponsors. The bill is active and has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce committee.