[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 252 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 252

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2013

Mr. Alexander (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Isakson, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
 Reed, Mr. Menendez, and Ms. Landrieu) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 Reauthorization Act'' 
or the ``PREEMIE Reauthorization Act''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 
              PREVENTION.

    (a) Epidemiological Studies.--Section 3 of the Prematurity Research 
Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act (42 
U.S.C. 247b-4f) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following:
    ``(b) Studies and Activities on Preterm Birth.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
        Disease Control and Prevention, may, subject to the 
        availability of appropriations--
                    ``(A) conduct epidemiological studies on the 
                clinical, biological, social, environmental, genetic, 
                and behavioral factors relating to prematurity, as 
                appropriate;
                    ``(B) conduct activities to improve national data 
                to facilitate tracking the burden of preterm birth; and
                    ``(C) continue efforts to prevent preterm birth, 
                including late preterm birth, through the 
                identification of opportunities for prevention and the 
                assessment of the impact of such efforts.
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of the PREEMIE Reauthorization 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).''.
    (b) Reauthorization.--Section 3(e) of the Prematurity Research 
Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act (42 
U.S.C. 247b-4f(e)) is amended by striking ``2007 through 2011'' and 
inserting ``2014 through 2018''.

SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES AT THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Telemedicine and High-Risk Pregnancies.--Section 330I(i)(1)(B) 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-14(i)(1)(B)) is 
amended by striking ``or case management services'' and inserting 
``case management services, or prenatal care for high-risk 
pregnancies'';
    (b) Public and Health Care Provider Education.--Section 399Q of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-5) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) 
                through (F) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) the core risk factors for preterm labor and 
                delivery;
                    ``(B) medically indicated deliveries before full 
                term;
                    ``(C) the importance of preconception and prenatal 
                care, including--
                            ``(i) smoking cessation;
                            ``(ii) weight maintenance and good 
                        nutrition, including folic acid;
                            ``(iii) the screening for and the treatment 
                        of infections; and
                            ``(iv) stress management;
                    ``(D) treatments and outcomes for premature 
                infants, including late preterm infants;
                    ``(E) the informational needs of families during 
                the stay of an infant in a neonatal intensive care 
                unit; and
                    ``(F) utilization of evidence-based strategies to 
                prevent birth injuries;''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) programs to increase the availability, awareness, and 
        use of pregnancy and post-term information services that 
        provide evidence-based, clinical information through 
        counselors, community outreach efforts, electronic or 
        telephonic communication, or other appropriate means regarding 
        causes associated with prematurity, birth defects, or health 
        risks to a post-term infant;''; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``2007 through 2011'' 
        and inserting ``2014 through 2018''.

SEC. 4. OTHER ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low 
Birthweight.--The Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for 
Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act is amended by striking section 5 
(42 U.S.C. 247b-4g).
    (b) Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') may 
        establish an advisory committee known as the ``Advisory 
        Committee on Infant Mortality'' (referred to in this section as 
        the ``Advisory Committee'').
            (2) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall provide advice 
        and recommendations to the Secretary concerning the following 
        activities:
                    (A) Programs of the Department of Health and Human 
                Services that are directed at reducing infant mortality 
                and improving the health status of pregnant women and 
                infants.
                    (B) Strategies to coordinate the various Federal 
                programs and activities with State, local, and private 
                programs and efforts that address factors that affect 
                infant mortality.
                    (C) Implementation of the Healthy Start program 
                under section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 
                U.S.C. 254c-8) and Healthy People 2020 infant mortality 
                objectives.
                    (D) Strategies to reduce preterm birth rates 
                through research, programs, and education.
            (3) Plan for hhs preterm birth activities.--Not later than 
        1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the 
        Advisory Committee (or an advisory committee in existence as of 
        the date of enactment of this Act and designated by the 
        Secretary) shall develop a plan for conducting and supporting 
        research, education, and programs on preterm birth through the 
        Department of Health and Human Services and shall periodically 
        review and revise the plan, as appropriate. The plan shall--
                    (A) examine research and educational activities 
                that receive Federal funding in order to enable the 
                plan to provide informed recommendations to reduce 
                preterm birth and address racial and ethnic disparities 
                in preterm birth rates;
                    (B) identify research gaps and opportunities to 
                implement evidence-based strategies to reduce preterm 
                birth rates among the programs and activities of the 
                Department of Health and Human Services regarding 
                preterm birth, including opportunities to minimize 
                duplication; and
                    (C) reflect input from a broad range of scientists, 
                patients, and advocacy groups, as appropriate.
            (4) Membership.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
        membership of the Advisory Committee includes the following:
                    (A) Representatives provided for in the original 
                charter of the Advisory Committee.
                    (B) A representative of the National Center for 
                Health Statistics.
    (c) Patient Safety Studies and Report.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall designate an 
        appropriate agency within the Department of Health and Human 
        Services to coordinate existing studies on hospital 
        readmissions of preterm infants.
            (2) Report to secretary and congress.--Not later than 1 
        year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the agency 
        designated under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary 
        and to Congress a report containing the findings and 
        recommendations resulting from the studies coordinated under 
        such paragraph, including recommendations for hospital 
        discharge and followup procedures designed to reduce rates of 
        preventable hospital readmissions for preterm infants.
                                 <all>