[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2842 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2842
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for congenital
Cytomegalovirus screening of newborns.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 17 (legislative day, September 16), 2025
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Kelly) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for congenital
Cytomegalovirus screening of newborns.
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 ``Stop CMV Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SCREENING OF CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS.
Part A of title XI of the Public Health Service Act is amended by
inserting after section 1116 (42 U.S.C. 300b-15) the following:
``SEC. 1116A. SCREENING OF CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS.
``(a) In General.--Each hospital or other health care entity caring
for infants who are 21 days or less of age (as designated by the
Secretary) may administer, or cause to have administered, to every such
infant in its care a test for congenital Cytomegalovirus in accordance
with this section.
``(b) Process.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the chief
executive officer for health in each State may prescribe
standards and procedures for the administration of testing
under subsection (a), including recording the results of such
tests, tracking activities, conducting follow-up reviews, and
carrying out educational activities.
``(2) Dissemination of information.--In carrying out this
section, the chief executive officer for health in each State
may prescribe standards and procedures setting forth the manner
in which testing information is disseminated to a parent or
guardian of the infant to be tested.
``(3) Failure to prescribe.--If a State has not prescribed
standards and procedures that are approved as provided for in
paragraph (4) by the date that is 2 years after the date of
enactment of the Stop CMV Act of 2025, the Discretionary
Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and
Children established under section 1111 (referred to in this
section as the `Advisory Committee') shall prescribe
appropriate standards and procedures which may be implemented
by such State.
``(4) Review and approval.--The standards and procedures
prescribed under this subsection shall be subject to review and
approval by the Advisory Committee. In reviewing or prescribing
standards and procedures as required under this subsection, the
Advisory Committee shall consider standards and procedures
adopted in other States with respect to the screening of
congenital Cytomegalovirus, the standards and procedures
adopted in such State with respect to the screening of infants
for other heritable diseases, and any scientific evidence the
Advisory Committee considers relevant to provide for the
screening of infants for congenital Cytomegalovirus.
``(c) Grants.--
``(1) Health resources and services administration.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall award grants to States that
prescribe standards and procedures in accordance with
paragraphs (1) and (2), to be distributed by the States
to entities described in subsection (a) to administer
tests in accordance with that subsection.
``(B) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subparagraph
(A) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal
years 2026 and 2027.
``(2) Centers for disease control and prevention.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall award grants to, or enter into
cooperative agreements with, States to provide
technical assistance to State agencies or designated
entities of States--
``(i) to develop, maintain, and improve
data collection systems relating to congenital
Cytomegalovirus; and
``(ii) to assist in the education and
training of health care providers, patients,
and the general public regarding the risk
reduction or prevention, symptoms, diagnosis,
and treatment of congenital Cytomegalovirus,
including, as necessary, through the
publication of scientific, evidence-based
educational materials on internet webpages
maintained by State agencies or designated
entities of States.
``(B) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subparagraph
(A) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal
years 2026 and 2027.
``(3) National institutes of health.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of the National
Institutes of Health shall--
``(i) for the purposes of this section,
establish a program, or expand existing
programs, of research and development on the
efficacy of new screening techniques and
technology relating to congenital
Cytomegalovirus, including clinical studies of
screening methods, studies on efficacy of
intervention, and related research; and
``(ii) establish a program, or expand
existing programs, of research and development
into congenital Cytomegalovirus diagnostics,
prevention, treatments including public health
awareness campaigns, risk reduction, and
vaccine development, and cures or treatments
(during pregnancy and after birth).
``(B) Funding.--The Director of the National
Institutes of Health shall carry out subparagraph (A)
using amounts available to the Director and not
otherwise obligated.''.
SEC. 3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HERITABLE DISORDERS IN NEWBORNS AND
CHILDREN.
Section 1111(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300b-
10(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (7) by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
``(8) carry out activities under section 1116A; and''.
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