NEWBORN Act (H.R. 79; 117th Congress)

by Steve Cohen

117th CONGRESS
1st Session

H.R. 79

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 4, 2021

Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Payne, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Dean, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Rush, Mr. Lawson of Florida, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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.

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 “Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act” or the “NEWBORN Act”.

SEC. 2. INFANT MORTALITY PILOT PROGRAMS.

Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–8) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f);

(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 15 counties or groups of counties with the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States in the past 3 years; 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 syndrome;

“(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 community 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 a county, city, territorial, or tribal health department that has submitted a proposal to the Secretary that the Secretary deems likely to reduce infant mortality rates within the standard metropolitan statistical area involved.

“(C) TRIBAL.—The term ‘tribal’ refers to 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.”; and

(3) in subsection (f), as redesignated—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) by amending the heading to read: “HEALTHY START INITIATIVE”; and

(ii) by inserting after “carrying out this section” the following: “(other than subsection (e))”;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);

(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

“(2) INFANT MORTALITY PILOT PROGRAMS.—There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out subsection (e). Amounts authorized by this paragraph to be appropriated to carry out subsection (e) are in addition to amounts authorized by paragraph (1) to be appropriated to carry out the Healthy Start Initiative under subsection (a).”; and

(D) in paragraph (3)(A), as redesignated, by striking “the program under this section” and inserting “the program under subsection (a)”.