S. 707

One Hundred Ninth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the third day of January, two thousand and six

An Act

To reduce preterm labor and delivery and the risk of pregnancy-related deaths

and complications due to pregnancy, and to reduce infant mortality caused by

prematurity.

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 ‘‘Prematurity Research Expansion

and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act’’ or the

‘‘PREEMIE Act’’.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this Act to—

(1) reduce rates of preterm labor and delivery;

(2) work toward an evidence-based standard of care for

pregnant women at risk of preterm labor or other serious

complications, and for infants born preterm and at a low birthweight; and

(3) reduce infant mortality and disabilities caused by prematurity.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH RELATING TO PRETERM LABOR AND DELIVERY

AND THE CARE, TREATMENT, AND OUTCOMES OF

PRETERM AND LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS.

(a) GENERAL EXPANSION OF CDC RESEARCH.—Section 301 of

the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended

by adding at the end the following:

‘‘(e) The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, shall expand, intensify, and

coordinate the activities of the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention with respect to preterm labor and delivery and infant

mortality.’’.

(b) STUDIES ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREMATURITY AND

BIRTH DEFECTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human

Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, shall, subject to the availability of

appropriations, conduct ongoing epidemiological studies on the

relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary

of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director

of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall submit
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to the appropriate committees of Congress reports concerning

the progress and any results of studies conducted under paragraph (1).

(c) PREGNANCY RISK ASSESSMENT MONITORING SURVEY.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human

Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, shall establish systems for the collection of maternal-infant clinical and biomedical information,

including electronic health records, electronic databases, and

biobanks, to link with the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and other epidemiological studies of

prematurity in order to track pregnancy outcomes and prevent

preterm birth.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out paragraph (1) $3,000,000

for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

(d) EVALUATION OF EXISTING TOOLS AND MEASURES.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall review existing tools

and measures to ensure that such tools and measures include

information related to the known risk factors of low birth weight

and preterm birth.

(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized

to be appropriated to carry out this section, except for subsection

(c), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.

280g et seq.) is amended— (1) by redesignating the second section 399O (relating to

grants to foster public health responses to domestic violence,

dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking) as section 399P;

and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

‘‘SEC. 399Q. PUBLIC AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EDUCATION AND

SUPPORT SERVICES.

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, directly or through the

awarding of grants to public or private nonprofit entities, may

conduct demonstration projects for the purpose of improving the

provision of information on prematurity to health professionals

and other health care providers and the public and improving

the treatment and outcomes for babies born preterm.

‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—Activities to be carried out under the demonstration project under subsection (a) may include the establishment of—

‘‘(1) programs to test and evaluate various strategies to

provide information and education to health professionals, other

health care providers, and the public concerning—

‘‘(A) the signs of preterm labor, updated as new

research results become available;

‘‘(B) the screening for and the treating of infections;

‘‘(c) counseling on optimal weight and good nutrition,

including folic acid;

‘‘(D) smoking cessation education and counseling;

‘‘(E) stress management; and

‘‘(F) appropriate prenatal care;
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‘‘(2) programs to improve the treatment and outcomes for

babies born premature, including the use of evidence-based

standards of care by health care professionals for pregnant

women at risk of preterm labor or other serious complications

and for infants born preterm and at a low birthweight; ‘‘(3) programs to respond to the informational needs of

families during the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive

care unit, during the transition of the infant to the home,

and in the event of a newborn death; and ‘‘(4) such other programs as the Secretary determines

appropriate to achieve the purpose specified in subsection (a).

‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized

to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each

of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.’’.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL ON PREMATURITY

AND LOW BIRTHWEIGHT.

(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to stimulate

multidisciplinary research, scientific exchange, and collaboration

among the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services and to assist the Department in targeting efforts to achieve

the greatest advances toward the goal of reducing prematurity

and low birthweight.

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and Human

Services shall establish an Interagency Coordinating Council on

Prematurity and Low Birthweight (referred to in this section as

the Council) to carry out the purpose of this section.

(c) COMPOSITION.—The Council shall be composed of members

to be appointed by the Secretary, including representatives of the

agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(d) ACTIVITIES.—The Council shall— (1) annually report to the Secretary of Health and Human

Services and Congress on current Departmental activities

relating to prematurity and low birthweight;

(2) carry out other activities determined appropriate by

the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and

(3) oversee the coordination of the implementation of this

Act.

SEC. 6. SURGEON GENERAL’S CONFERENCE ON PRETERM BIRTH.

(a) CONVENING OF CONFERENCE.—Not later than 1 year after

the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and

Human Services, acting through the Surgeon General of the Public

Health Service, shall convene a conference on preterm birth.

(b) PURPOSE OF CONFERENCE.—The purpose of the conference

convened under subsection (a) shall be to— (1) increase awareness of preterm birth as a serious,

common, and costly public health problem in the United States;

(2) review the findings and reports issued by the Interagency Coordinating Council, key stakeholders, and any other

relevant entities; and

(3) establish an agenda for activities in both the public

and private sectors that will speed the identification of, and

treatments for, the causes of and risk factors for preterm labor

and delivery.

(c) REPORT.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services

shall submit to the Congress and make available to the public

a report on the agenda established under subsection (b)(3), including
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recommendations for activities in the public and private sectors

that will speed the identification of, and treatments for, the causes

of and risk factors for preterm labor and delivery.

(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized

to be appropriated to carry out this section (other than subsection

(c)) $125,000.

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE OF CERTAIN HEAD START REGULATIONS.

Section 1310.12(a) of title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(October 1, 2004) shall not be effective until June 30, 2007, or

60 days after the date of the enactment of a statute that authorizes

appropriations for fiscal year 2007 to carry out the Head Start

Act, whichever date is earlier.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.