I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6085 

To revise and extend the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education 

for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act (PREEMIE Act). 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 13, 2018 

Ms. ESHOO (for herself and Mr. LANCE) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To revise and extend the Prematurity Research Expansion 

and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early 

Act (PREEMIE Act). 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prematurity Research 

5 Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants 

6 Early Reauthorization Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘PREEMIE 

7 Reauthorization Act of 2018’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RESEARCH RELATING TO PRETERM LABOR AND DE2 LIVERY AND THE CARE, TREATMENT, AND 

3 OUTCOMES OF PRETERM AND LOW BIRTH4 WEIGHT INFANTS. 

5 Section 2 of the Prematurity Research Expansion 

6 and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act 

7 (42 U.S.C. 247b–4f) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (b)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘clin10 ical, biological, social, environmental, genetic, 

11 and behavioral factors relating’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘biological, social, and other determinants that 

13 contribute to health disparities and are re14 lated’’; and 

15 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘con16 cerning the progress and any results of studies 

17 conducted under paragraph (1)’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘regarding activities and studies conducted 

19 under paragraph (1), including any applicable 

20 analyses of preterm birth. Such report shall be 

21 posted on the Internet website of the Depart22 ment of Health and Human Services.’’; 

23 (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 

24 following: 

25 ‘‘(c) PREGNANCY RISK ASSESSMENT MONITORING

26 SURVEY.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 


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1 acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 

2 Control and Prevention, shall— 

3 ‘‘(1) continue systems for the collection of ma4 ternal-infant clinical and biomedical information, in5 cluding electronic health records, electronic data6 bases, and biobanks, to link with the Pregnancy 

7 Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and 

8 other epidemiological studies of prematurity in order 

9 to track, to the extent practicable, all pregnancy out10 comes and prevent preterm birth; 

11 ‘‘(2) provide technical assistance, as appro12 priate, to support States in improving the collection 

13 of information pursuant to this subsection.’’; and 

14 (3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘except for 

15 subsection (c), $1,880,000,000 for each of fiscal 

16 years 2014 through 2018’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 

18 2023’’. 

19 SEC. 3. PUBLIC AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EDUCATION 

20 AND SUPPORT SERVICES. 

21 Section 399Q of the Public Health Service Act (42 

22 U.S.C. 280g–5) is amended— 

23 (1) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘conduct demonstration 

2 projects for the purpose of improving’’ and in3 serting ‘‘continue efforts to improve’’; and 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘for babies born preterm’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘mothers of infants born preterm, 

6 and infants born preterm, including through 

7 demonstration projects, as appropriate’’; and 

8 (2) in subsection (b)— 

9 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

10 by striking ‘‘under the demonstration project’’; 

11 (B) in paragraph (1)— 

12 (i) in the matter preceding subpara13 graph (A), by striking ‘‘programs to test 

14 and evaluate various’’ and inserting ‘‘pro15 grams which, in collaboration with States, 

16 localities, and community organizations, 

17 support’’; 

18 (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 

19 (B) through (F) as subparagraphs (C) 

20 through (G), respectively; 

21 (iii) by inserting after subparagraph 

22 (A), the following: 

23 ‘‘(B) evidence-based strategies to prevent 

24 preterm birth and associated outcomes;’’; 


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1 (iv) in subparagraph (C), as so redes2 ignated, by inserting ‘‘, and the risks of 

3 non-medically indicated deliveries before 

4 full term’’ before the semicolon; 

5 (v) in subparagraph (D), as so redes6 ignated— 

7 (I) in clause (ii), by inserting 

8 ‘‘intake’’ before the semicolon; 

9 (II) in clause (iii), by striking 

10 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

11 (III) by redesignating clause (iv) 

12 as clause (vii); and 

13 (IV) by inserting after clause 

14 (iii), the following: 

15 ‘‘(iv) screening for and treatment of 

16 substance use disorders; 

17 ‘‘(v) screening and treatment of ma18 ternal depression; 

19 ‘‘(vi) maternal immunization; and’’; 

20 (vi) in subparagraph (E), as so redes21 ignated, by adding ‘‘and’’ after the semi22 colon; 

23 (vii) in subparagraph (F), as so redes24 ignated, by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 

25 a period; and 


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1 (viii) by striking subparagraph (G), as 

2 so redesignated; and 

3 (C) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, as 

4 well as prevention of a future preterm birth’’ 

5 before the semicolon. 

6 SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON INFANT MORTALITY. 

7 Section 104(b) of the PREEMIE Reauthorization 

8 Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–4f note) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (2)— 

10 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

11 (A), by striking ‘‘and recommendations to the 

12 Secretary concerning the following activities’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘, recommendations, or informa14 tion to the Secretary as may be necessary to 

15 improve activities and programs to reduce se16 vere maternal morbidity and infant mortality 

17 and preterm birth, which may include rec18 ommendations, advice, or information related to 

19 the following’’; 

20 (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 

21 improving the health status of pregnant women 

22 and infants’’ and inserting ‘‘, preterm birth, 

23 and improving the health status of pregnant 

24 women and infants, and information on cost-ef25 fectiveness and outcomes of such programs’’; 


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1 (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘Im2 plementation of the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; and 

3 (D) by striking subparagraph (D) and in4 serting the following: 

5 ‘‘(D) Implementation of Healthy People 

6 objectives related to maternal and infant health. 

7 ‘‘(E) Strategies to reduce racial, ethnic, 

8 geographic, and other health disparities in birth 

9 outcomes. 

10 ‘‘(F) Strategies, including the implementa11 tion of such strategies, to address gaps in Fed12 eral research, programs, and education efforts 

13 related to the prevention of severe maternal 

14 morbidity and infant mortality, and other ad15 verse birth outcomes.’’; 

16 (2) by striking paragraph (3) and redesignating 

17 paragraph (4) as paragraph (3); and 

18 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(4) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 

20 after the date of enactment of the PREEMIE Reau21 thorization Act of 2018, and every 2 years there22 after, the Advisory Committee shall— 

23 ‘‘(A) publish a report summarizing activi24 ties and recommendations of the Advisory ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Jun 19, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6085.IH H6085

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1 mittee since the publication of the previous re2 port; 

3 ‘‘(B) submit such report to the Secretary 

4 and the appropriate Committees of Congress; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(C) post such report on the Internet 

7 website of the Department of Health and 

8 Human Services.’’. 

9 SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

11 Human Services may establish an interagency working 

12 group in order to improve coordination of programs and 

13 activities within the Department of Health and Human 

14 Services to prevent preterm birth, infant mortality, and 

15 related adverse birth outcomes. 

16 (b) DUTIES.—The working group established under 

17 subsection (a) shall— 

18 (1) identify gaps, duplication, or overlap in 

19 Federal programs and activities related to preterm 

20 birth and infant mortality; 

21 (2) assess the extent to which the goals and 

22 metrics of relevant programs and activities within 

23 the Department of Health and Human Services are 

24 aligned; 


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1 (3) assess the extent to which such programs 

2 are coordinated across agencies within such Depart3 ment; and 

4 (4) make specific recommendations, as applica5 ble, to reduce or minimize unnecessary duplication 

6 and overlap and improve coordination of goals, pro7 grams, and activities across agencies within such 

8 Department. 

9 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

10 on which the working group is established under sub11 section (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

12 shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, 

13 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 

14 Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 

15 a report summarizing the findings of the working group 

16 under subsection (b) and the specific recommendations to 

17 improve Federal programs at the Department of Health 

18 and Human Services under subsection (b)(4). 

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