Heat Emergency Assessment and Tracking using AI Act

This Act may be cited as the “Heat Emergency Assessment and Tracking using AI Act” or the “HEAT AI Act”.

Congress finds that—

(1) heat-related deaths and illnesses are significantly under reported due to—

(A) the limitations of coding under the International Classification of Diseases; and

(B) inconsistent documentation by medical practitioners; and

(2) artificial intelligence, including large language models, can analyze unstructured clinical data and local weather information to identify likely heat-related cases missed by current systems.

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study on the incidence of heat-related illness and death in the United States, including coordinating with State departments of health and vital statistics to determine how many deaths in the United States may be attributable to heat-related illness as a primary, secondary, or tertiary cause of death.

(a) In general.— The Secretary shall carry out a program under which the Secretary will make grants to not fewer than 3, and not more than 5, eligible entities. Such program shall be known as the “Heat Illness AI Surveillance and Response Program”.

(b) Applications.—

(1) In general.— To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require.

(2) Contents.— An application of an eligible entity referred to in paragraph (1) shall contain, at a minimum—

(A) an implementation plan developed by the eligible entity to carry out activities specified in subsection (c);

(B) an identification of the partners the eligible entity will work with to develop or use an AI tool described in subsection (c);

(C) if such AI tool has been previously developed, an identification of the AI tool; and

(D) a description of the steps the applicant will take to ensure that use of an AI tool described in subsection (c) by the applicant is in compliance with applicable Federal and State privacy laws.

(c) Use of grants.— An eligible entity that receives a grant under the program shall use the amounts of the grant—

(1) to develop and test AI tools that—

(A) are capable of analyzing medical records, death certificates, and coroner reports for indications of heat-related illness (including if heat-related illness was a primary, secondary, or tertiary cause of death); and

(B) integrate localized weather data and occupational information to improve accuracy;

(2) to implement such AI tools for the purpose of conducting surveillance of heat-related deaths and illnesses;

(3) to develop heat response protocols to reduce and prevent heat-related illness and death;

(4) to conduct clinician training on the identification, diagnosis, and management of heat-related illness; and

(5) to conduct community outreach to increase awareness of heat-related illness symptoms, risk factors, and available prevention and treatment resources to develop heat response protocols.

(d) Selection of grant recipients.—

(1) In general.— The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities under the program on a competitive basis.

(2) Criteria.— In awarding such grants, the Secretary select eligible entities that represent diverse climates and populations and shall include—

(A) at least one urban community; and

(B) at least one rural community.

(e) Consultation.— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall consult with—

(1) medicolegal death investigation professionals of the Department of Justice;

(2) regional, State, and local departments of health; and

(3) relevant stakeholders, including utility companies.

(f) Privacy and ethics.— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall—

(1) establish requirements to ensure compliance with regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (commonly known as “HIPAA”; Public Law 104–191) and other applicable Federal privacy laws and regulations; and

(2) establish an AI advisory board to ensure transparency, community input, fairness, accuracy, and equitable performance of AI models across demographic and geographic populations.

(g) Reports to congress.—

(1) Progress reports.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date of submission of the final report under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing a description of—

(A) the progress made by the Secretary in establishing and implementing the program;

(B) the accuracy of data collected under the program relating to heat-related deaths and illnesses; and

(C) public health outcomes, including trends in heat-related morbidity and mortality and the effectiveness of AI-enables surveillance and response interventions.

(2) Final report.— Not later than September 30, 2031, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report containing—

(A) an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the program; and

(B) a description of the costs and benefits of individual activities carried out under the program.

(h) Issuance of national guidelines.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall issue national guidelines to standardize documentation and reporting of heat-related illnesses and deaths, including improved use of external cause codes used under the International Classification of Diseases. Such guidelines may be issued at such time as determined appropriate by the Director, regardless of the date upon which the program under this Act concludes.

(i) Recommendations.— Not later than September 30, 2031, the Secretary shall—

(1) issue recommendations based on the results of the program; and

(2) using such recommendations, advise Federal department and agencies on broadly deploying AI technologies for the purpose of tracking heat-related deaths nationwide, including best practices for the design, acquisition, development, modernization, use, operation, sharing, risk management, auditing, and performance of such technologies for such purpose.

(j) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) AI.— The term “AI” refers to artificial intelligence.

(2) AI tool.— The term “AI tool” means a software application that uses AI.

(3) Artificial intelligence.— The term “artificial intelligence” has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).

(4) Eligible entity.— The term “eligible entity” means a public or private entity (including a hospital system, academic medical center, State or local health department, or qualified research institution) that has demonstrated capacity to carry out activities under the program, as determined by the Secretary.

(5) Program.— The term “program” means the Heat Illness AI Surveillance and Response Program referred to in subsection (a).

(6) Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(k) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.