PREEMIE Act
PL 109-450 (S.707), enacted 12/22/2006

120 STAT. 3341
PUBLIC LAW 109–450—DEC. 22, 2006
Public Law 109–450
109th Congress
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 birth-
weight; and
(3) reduce infant mortality and disabilities caused by pre-
maturity.
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 develop-
mental disabilities.
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enact-
ment 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
42 USC 247b–4f.
Prematurity
Research
Expansion and
Education for
Mothers who
deliver Infants
Early Act.
42 USC 201 note.
42 USC 247b–4f
note.
Dec. 22, 2006
[S. 707]
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120 STAT. 3342
PUBLIC LAW 109–450—DEC. 22, 2006
to the appropriate committees of Congress reports concerning
the progress and any results of studies conducted under para-
graph (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 collec-
tion of maternal-infant clinical and biomedical information,
including electronic health records, electronic databases, and
biobanks, to link with the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Moni-
toring System (PRAMS) and other epidemiological studies of
prematurity in order to track pregnancy outcomes and prevent
preterm birth.
(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is author-
ized 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 Sec-
retary 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 SUP-
PORT 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 dem-
onstration project under subsection (a) may include the establish-
ment 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;
42 USC 280g–5.
42 USC 280g–4.
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120 STAT. 3343
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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 Serv-
ices 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 Inter-
agency 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
Public
information.
Deadline.
Reports.
42 USC 247b–4g.
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120 STAT. 3344
PUBLIC LAW 109–450—DEC. 22, 2006
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 707:
SENATE REPORTS: No. 109–298 (Comm. on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006):
Aug. 1, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 8, considered and passed House, amended. Senate concurred in House
amendment.
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.
Approved December 22, 2006.
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