[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 707 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.707
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and six
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 birthweight; and
(3) reduce infant mortality and disabilities caused by
prematurity.
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 developmental disabilities.
(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
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 to the appropriate
committees of Congress reports concerning the progress and any
results of studies conducted under paragraph (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 collection of maternal-
infant clinical and biomedical information, including electronic
health records, electronic databases, and biobanks, to link with
the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and other
epidemiological studies of prematurity in order to track pregnancy
outcomes and prevent preterm birth.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 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 Secretary 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 SUPPORT 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
demonstration project under subsection (a) may include the
establishment 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;
``(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 Services 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 Interagency
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 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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.