To authorize funding for the creation and implementation of infant mortality pilot programs in standard metropolitan statistical areas with high rates of infant mortality, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Barragán, Ms. Budzinski, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The NEWBORN Act (Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act) creates a new federal grant program to fight infant mortality in the United States' most affected communities. The bill authorizes $10 million annually from 2025 through 2029 for pilot programs specifically targeting the 50 counties or county groups with the highest infant mortality rates. These programs can provide comprehensive services including prenatal and postpartum care, counseling, public education campaigns, and coordination between local health agencies.
Who Benefits and How
County, city, and Tribal health departments in high infant mortality areas are the primary institutional beneficiaries, gaining access to competitive grants worth up to 5 years of funding to implement targeted programs. At-risk mothers in these communities benefit most directly through free or subsidized access to a wide range of services: clinical care, infant care counseling, smoking cessation programs, drug and alcohol treatment, nutrition programs, postpartum depression counseling, domestic violence support, dental care, and parenting education. Healthcare providers serving these populations—including rural health clinics, maternal health specialists, mental health counselors, substance abuse treatment centers, and dental providers—benefit from new revenue opportunities as grantees contract for services.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers fund the $50 million total cost over five years. Grant recipients face new administrative requirements, including developing detailed community needs assessments and submitting annual reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services documenting their program methodology, outcomes, and statistics. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) takes on responsibility for overseeing the grant program, evaluating reports, and conducting statistical research on program effectiveness. However, grantees can use up to 10% of their grant funds for program evaluation, partially offsetting this compliance burden.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes $10 million annually (FY 2025-2029) for competitive grants to create infant mortality pilot programs
- Prioritizes funding for the 50 counties or county groups with the nation's highest infant mortality rates based on the most recent 3 years of data
- Gives preference to programs addressing birth defects, preterm birth and low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, maternal pregnancy complications, or infant injuries
- Allows grant funds to support comprehensive services: community needs assessments, outreach to at-risk mothers, clinical services for healthy pregnancies, counseling programs, rural outreach, public education campaigns, and coordination between health entities
- Caps administrative spending at 10% of grant funds for program evaluation
- Requires annual reporting from grantees to enable federal evaluation and statistical research on program effectiveness
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Authorizes $10 million annually (FY 2025-2029) for grants to create infant mortality pilot programs in high-risk counties
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Targeted intervention in high infant mortality areas through competitive grants and evidence-based programs"
Likely Beneficiaries
- County and city health departments in high infant mortality areas
- Tribal health organizations
- At-risk mothers and infants in underserved communities
- Rural health providers
- Public health consultants and program evaluators
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal taxpayers (funding $10M annually)
- Grantees with reporting requirements (annual reports)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration
A county, city, territorial, or Tribal health department; or in the case of a State with a centralized health department, the State health department
Refers to an Indian tribe, a Tribal organization, or an Urban Indian organization, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology