H.R. 7694 — Gwenn’s Law

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct a public awareness campaign to increase women's participation in NIH-conducted or supported clinical trials, including targeted outreach at hospitals, physicians' offices, health centers, clinics, and other appropriate locations and with priority for trials on products to prevent, diagnose, or treat rare diseases and conditions. The section authorizes $10 million for each of FY2027 through FY2031.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a public awareness campaign to increase women's participation in Department of Health and Human Services programs for research, surveillance, and prevention of bleeding and clotting disorders, including hemophilia. It authorizes appropriations of $10 million for each of FY2027 through FY2031.

This section establishes a permanent Interagency Task Force on Advancing Treatments for Rare Diseases within HHS, to be convened by the Secretary not later than 90 days after enactment. The task force comprises (1) the HHS Secretary, CMS Administrator, FDA Commissioner, NIH Director, and CDC Director; (2) four Secretary-appointed biopharmaceutical innovators with respect to rare diseases and conditions, private health plan administrators, or representatives of federally funded rare disease research institutions or organizations; and (3) four Secretary-appointed representatives of rare disease advocacy groups. The task force must assess federal agency activities on rare diseases (including multi-agency projects), overall programmatic funding, and potential measurable outcomes for future reports, and coordinate HHS efforts to incentivize research and development of products for rare disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment—particularly for those disproportionately impacting women.

This section requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prepare an action plan coordinating departmental efforts to incentivize research and development of products for preventing, diagnosing, and treating rare diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact women. Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary must complete the plan, submit it to Congress, and post it publicly on the websites of HHS and the National Institutes of Health.