NEWBORN Act

Bill: 119-s-992
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Introduced: 2025-03-12
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 992 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 12, 2025 Mr. Van Hollen introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To authorize funding for the creation and implementation of infant mortality pilot programs in standard metropolitan statistical areas with high rates of infant mortality, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act or the NEWBORN Act . 2. Infant mortality pilot programs Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254c–8 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: (e) Infant Mortality Pilot Programs (1) In general The Secretary, acting through the Administrator, shall award grants to eligible entities to create, implement, and oversee infant mortality pilot programs. (2) Period of a grant The period of a grant under this subsection shall be up to 5 years. (3) Preference In awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give preference to— (A) eligible entities proposing to serve any of the 50 counties or groups of counties with the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States based on the most recent 3 years of available national infant mortality data, as determined by the Secretary; and (B) eligible entities whose proposed infant mortality pilot program would address— (i) birth defects; (ii) preterm birth and low birth weight; (iii) sudden infant death; (iv) maternal pregnancy complications; or (v) injuries to infants. (4) Use of funds Any infant mortality pilot program funded under this subsection may— (A) include the development of a plan that identifies the individual needs of each community to be served and strategies to address those needs; (B) provide outreach to at-risk mothers through programs deemed appropriate by the Administrator; (C) develop and implement standardized systems for improved access, utilization, and quality of social, educational, and clinical services to promote healthy pregnancies, full-term births, and healthy infancies delivered to women and their infants, such as— (i) counseling on infant care, feeding, and parenting; (ii) postpartum care; (iii) prevention of premature delivery; and (iv) additional counseling for at-risk mothers, including smoking cessation programs, drug treatment programs, alcohol treatment programs, nutrition and physical activity programs, postpartum depression and domestic violence programs, social and psychological services, dental care, and parenting programs; (D) establish a rural outreach program to provide care to at-risk mothers in rural areas; (E) establish a regional public education campaign, including a campaign to— (i) prevent preterm births; and (ii) educate the public about infant mortality; (F) provide for any other activities, programs, or strategies as identified by the plan; and (G) coordinate efforts between— (i) the health department of each county or other eligible entity to be served through the infant mortality pilot program; and (ii) existing entities that work to reduce the rate of infant mortality within the area of any such county or other eligible entity. (5) Limitation Of the funds received through a grant under this subsection for a fiscal year, an eligible entity shall not use more than 10 percent for program evaluation. (6) Reports on pilot programs (A) In general Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant, and annually thereafter for the duration of the grant period, each entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall submit a report to the Secretary detailing its infant mortality pilot program. (B) Contents of report The reports required under subparagraph (A) shall include information such as the methodology of, and outcomes and statistics from, the grantee’s infant mortality pilot program. (C) Evaluation The Secretary shall use the reports required under subparagraph (A) to evaluate, and conduct statistical research on, infant mortality pilot programs funded through this subsection. (7) Definitions For the purposes of this subsection: (A) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. (B) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (i) a county, city, territorial, or Tribal health department; or (ii) in the case of a State with a centralized health department, the State health department. (C) Tribal health department The term Tribal health department means the health department of an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or an urban Indian organization, as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act . ; (3) in subsection (f), as so redesignated— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in the heading, by striking Authorization of appropriations and inserting Healthy Start Initiative ; and (ii) by inserting (other than subsection (e)) after carrying out this section ; (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: (2) Infant mortality pilot programs To carry out subsection (e), there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. ; and (D) in paragraph (3)(A), as so redesignated, by striking the program under this section and inserting the program under subsection (a) ; and (4) in paragraphs (2) and (3)(B) of subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking subsection (e)(2)(B) and inserting subsection (f)(3)(B) .