NEWBORN Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 2040
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-11: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-11T20:41:41Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The NEWBORN Act (H.R. 2040) aims to reduce infant mortality rates by authorizing federal funding for pilot programs in areas with high infant death rates. It focuses on creating targeted outreach, education, and health services to support healthy pregnancies and infant care, particularly in underserved communities.
Key Provisions
- Grant Awards: The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator, will award grants to eligible entities to develop and run infant mortality pilot programs. Grants last up to 5 years.
- Eligibility and Preferences:
- Eligible entities include county, city, territorial, or Tribal health departments, or centralized state health departments.
- Preference is given to programs in the 50 U.S. counties (or groups of counties) with the highest infant mortality rates, based on the latest 3 years of national data.
- Additional preference for programs addressing key causes of infant death, such as birth defects, preterm birth and low birth weight, sudden infant death, maternal pregnancy complications, or infant injuries.
- Allowed Uses of Funds:
- Develop community-specific plans to identify and address local needs.
- Provide outreach to at-risk mothers via appropriate programs.
- Create standardized systems for better access to social, educational, and clinical services, including counseling on infant care, feeding, and parenting; postpartum care; prevention of premature births; and support for issues like smoking cessation, drug/alcohol treatment, nutrition, physical activity, postpartum depression, domestic violence, mental health, dental care, and parenting.
- Establish rural outreach for at-risk mothers.
- Launch regional public education campaigns to prevent preterm births and raise awareness about infant mortality.
- Support other activities outlined in the community plan.
- Coordinate with local health departments and existing groups working to lower infant mortality.
- Limitations and Reporting:
- No more than 10% of grant funds can be used for program evaluation in any fiscal year.
- Grantees must submit annual reports to HHS starting 1 year after receiving funds, detailing program methods, outcomes, and statistics.
- HHS will use these reports to evaluate the pilots and conduct research on infant mortality trends.
- Funding Authorization: $10 million is authorized annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 specifically for these pilot programs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8), which previously supported the Healthy Start initiative for infant and maternal health. Key changes include:
- Adding a new subsection (e) dedicated to infant mortality pilot programs, shifting existing subsections (e) and (f) to (f) and (g).
- Introducing specific grant preferences, uses, and reporting requirements not previously detailed for this purpose.
- Separating funding authorizations: The original Healthy Start funding remains intact (with clarifications), while adding a new $10 million annual authorization for the pilots.
- Updating cross-references in the law to reflect the new structure.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS and HRSA will oversee grant distribution, evaluations, and research, potentially increasing administrative workload but enhancing data on effective interventions. Local health departments will gain resources to expand services.
- Citizens: At-risk mothers, infants, and families in high-mortality areas (especially urban, rural, and Tribal communities) could benefit from improved access to preventive care, education, and support, potentially lowering infant death rates and improving maternal health outcomes.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. public health programs.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Eligible Entities: Local, state, territorial, and Tribal health departments responsible for implementing and reporting on programs.
- Communities and Individuals: Residents in high-infant-mortality areas, particularly at-risk pregnant women, new mothers, and infants from underserved groups (e.g., low-income, rural, or minority populations).
- Healthcare and Support Providers: Clinics, counselors, and organizations offering maternal-infant services, which may partner in outreach and education efforts.
- Federal Government: HHS/HRSA as funders and evaluators, influencing broader public health strategies.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens existing federal authority under the Public Health Service Act to fund targeted health initiatives without creating new regulatory burdens; emphasizes evidence-based pilots with built-in evaluation to ensure accountability.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to promote general welfare through public health grants; includes Tribal provisions that respect sovereignty by defining eligible Tribal entities per the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (from both Democratic and Republican members) signals broad support for maternal-infant health; could influence future appropriations debates by tying funding to specific high-need areas and measurable outcomes, potentially setting a model for addressing health disparities.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (12)
Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-11: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-03-11: Introduced in House
- 2025-03-11: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act — issued 2025-03-11 — PDF (7 pages)