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To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on establishing a system for storing last wish documents, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the feasibility of establishing a national system for securely storing and retrieving personal end-of-life documents at no cost to individuals. The system would store "last wish documents" such as advance directives, organ donor registrations, healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, and living wills, allowing authorized agents to access them. The National Academies would be required to provide a status report within two years of the bill's enactment and final study results within four years.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Oct 28, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- Oct 28, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 28, 2025
Mr. Suozzi (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on establishing a system for storing last wish documents, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Legacy Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON ESTABLISHING SYSTEM FOR STORING AND RETRIEVING LAST WISH DOCUMENTS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies under which the National Academies conduct a study on establishing and maintaining a national, confidential, and secure system for storing and retrieving by an authorized agent a last wish document of an individual, at no cost to such individual.
(b) Submission of Status and Results.—The agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall require the National Academies to submit to the Secretary and Congress—
(1) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the status of the study conducted under such agreement; and
(2) not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the results of the study conducted under such agreement.
(c) Definitions.—In this Act:
(1) Last wish document.—The term “last wish document” includes—
(A) an advance directive;
(B) an organ donor registration;
(C) a healthcare or medical proxy;
(D) a power of attorney; or
(E) a living will.
(2) National academies.—The term “National Academies” means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(3) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. <all>
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