PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 1562
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-05-01: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-31T13:48:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to extend and strengthen federal efforts to research, prevent, and treat preterm births (babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and low birthweight infants. It reauthorizes the original Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Act by updating funding, coordination mechanisms, and adding a comprehensive study on preterm birth issues.
Key Provisions
- Funding Extension for Research: Authorizes funding for research on preterm labor, delivery, and the care, treatment, and outcomes of preterm and low birthweight infants through fiscal years 2025–2029.
- Technical Correction: Fixes a minor referencing error in the 2018 reauthorization to ensure accurate citation of sections in the underlying law.
- Interagency Working Group: Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with other relevant departments, to establish a working group on preterm birth within 18 months of the Act's enactment. This group coordinates federal efforts across agencies.
- Study on Preterm Births: Directs HHS to commission the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on premature births. The study must:
- Be convened within 30 days of enactment.
- Produce a consensus report within 24 months, including raw data, and submit it to HHS and specified congressional committees (House Energy and Commerce; Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
- Assess key topics such as:
- Financial costs to society, including neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, long-term family and societal expenses, and post-discharge healthcare costs (e.g., medications, therapy, copayments, and equipment).
- Factors influencing preterm birth rates.
- Opportunities for earlier detection of risks, improved maternal and infant health, and public health support for parents (in-hospital, outpatient, and post-discharge).
- Analyze targeted research for drugs, treatments, or interventions to extend at-risk pregnancies; best practices from state and other programs to reduce preterm rates; and precision medicine (tailored healthcare based on individual factors) and preventive care approaches, focusing on behavioral, biological, and lifelong health influences starting from pregnancy.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Extends the research funding authorization from fiscal years 2019–2023 to 2025–2029, providing five additional years of support.
- Strengthens the interagency working group by changing it from optional ("may establish") to mandatory ("shall establish") with a firm 18-month deadline.
- Introduces a new, detailed study requirement by the National Academies, which was not in prior versions, expanding focus on economic costs, risk detection, and innovative prevention strategies.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS will oversee increased coordination, funding allocation (subject to appropriations), and the new study, potentially straining resources but enhancing interagency collaboration on public health. Congressional committees will receive data to inform future policy.
- Citizens: Families affected by preterm births may benefit from advanced research leading to better prevention, treatments, and support services, potentially reducing healthcare costs and improving long-term health outcomes for mothers and infants. Public health programs could expand resources for at-risk parents.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as the Act focuses on domestic U.S. health policy and research.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Pregnant Women and Families: Primary beneficiaries through improved education, risk detection, and post-birth support.
- Infants and Children: Focus on preterm and low birthweight cases, aiming for better care and lifelong health trajectories.
- Healthcare Providers and Researchers: Gain from funded studies, best practices, and interagency coordination to develop new interventions.
- Government Entities: HHS and other departments for implementation; state programs for adopting best practices.
- Society at Large: Indirectly affected by reduced economic burdens from preterm births, such as lower NICU and long-term care costs.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Builds on existing public health authority under the Public Health Service Act without creating new enforcement mechanisms; relies on voluntary consensus reports and appropriations, avoiding mandates on private entities.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to fund health research and promote general welfare; no apparent conflicts with federalism, as it encourages but does not compel state actions.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Senators Bennet and Boozman) signals broad support for maternal-infant health; emphasizes evidence-based policy through independent National Academies input, potentially influencing future funding debates without partisan controversy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Cosponsors (12)
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD], Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA], Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Recent Actions
- 2025-05-01: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-05-01: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2025 — issued 2025-05-01 — PDF (5 pages)