[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 707 Referred in House (RFH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 707
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 2006
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 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 NIH Research.--Part B of title IV of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 409J. EXPANSION AND COORDINATION OF RESEARCH RELATING TO PRETERM
LABOR AND DELIVERY AND INFANT MORTALITY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
NIH, shall expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the
National Institutes of Health with respect to research on the causes of
preterm labor and delivery, infant mortality, and improving the care
and treatment of preterm and low birthweight infants.
``(b) Authorization of Research Networks.--There shall be
established within the National Institutes of Health a multi-center
clinical program (that shall be initially established utilizing
existing networks) designed to--
``(1) investigate problems in clinical obstetrics,
particularly those related to prevention of low birth weight,
prematurity, and medical problems of pregnancy;
``(2) improve the care and outcomes of neonates, especially
very-low-birth weight infants; and
``(3) enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they
relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth
to aid in formulating more effective interventions to prevent
preterm birth.''.
(b) 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.''.
(c) 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).
(d) 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.
(e) 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 some
of the known risk factors of low birth weight and preterm birth.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, except for subsection (d),
$10,000,000 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 to improve the provision of information on
prematurity to health professionals and other health care providers and
the public and to improve 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 programs--
``(1) 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) 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; and
``(3) 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.
``(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, shall convene a conference on
preterm birth.
(b) Purposes 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 entity; and
(3) establish an agenda, and report such agenda to
Congress, for activities in both the public and private sectors
that will speed the identification of, and treatments for, the
causes of preterm labor and delivery.
(c) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000.
Passed the Senate August 1, 2006.
Attest:
EMILY J. REYNOLDS,
Secretary.