The Health Equity and Rare Disease Act of 2025, known as the HEARD Act, is designed to improve research and investment in rare diseases that disproportionately impact minority populations. Its primary goal is to address health disparities and enhance health outcomes for these communities through increased funding and coordinated research efforts. Key provisions of the act include the creation of a Coordinating Committee within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) tasked with overseeing research on rare diseases and health equity.