I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3842 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start 
for Infants Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 
Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself, Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia, and Mr. YAR-
MUTH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the 
Healthy Start for Infants Program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Healthy Start Reau-
thorization Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Department of Health and Human 
Services puts the national infant mortality rate at 
5.96 deaths per 1,000 live births. 
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(2) Despite national reductions in infant mor-
tality, a racial disparity in infant mortality rates ex-
ists in every State and territory, with non-Hispanic 
Black infants more than twice as likely to die before 
their first birthday than non-Hispanic White infants. 
(3) Infants born to low-income women are more 
likely to die before their first birthday than infants 
born in higher-income households. 
(4) The three leading clinical causes of infant 
death are prematurity due to preterm birth and low 
birthweight, birth defects, and sleep-related deaths. 
(5) The most recent data from the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 
the rate of preterm live births is twice the national 
rate for African-American women, 1.5 times the na-
tional rate for American Indians and Alaskan Na-
tives, and 1.4 times the national rate for Latinos. 
(6) The long-term medical and social services 
associated with low birthweight infants and children 
born premature cost American taxpayers $26.2 bil-
lion per year, with first-year expenses for the small-
est surviving babies averaging $273,900. 
(7) Employers pay 12 times more in health care 
costs for babies born with complications, and pre-
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natal interventions that result in full-term birth save 
employers $49,760. 
(8) Women can reduce the risk of mortality to 
their infants if they have access to culturally appro-
priate, accurate information from trusted providers 
about how to improve their health practices and be-
haviors 
during 
preconception, 
pregnancy, 
and 
postpartum. 
(9) For 25 years, the Healthy Start for Infants 
Program has identified and addressed the aforemen-
tioned knowledge gaps, clinical contributors, and up-
stream social and generational factors leading to in-
fant death, targeting communities with infant mor-
tality rates at least 1.5 times the national rate with 
the effect of reducing the prevalence of infant mor-
tality in Healthy Start communities to below the na-
tional rate. 
(10) In collaboration with its partners, includ-
ing the National Healthy Start Association, March 
of Dimes, and the Fetal and Infant Mortality Re-
view Program, the Healthy Start for Infants Pro-
gram has recognized that a relationship-centered, 
community-based approach to the early delivery of 
coordinated services to women and families as well 
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