[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2619 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 288
116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2619

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 17, 2019

  Mr. Brown (for himself, Mr. Burr, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Ernst, and Ms. 
   Baldwin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

                            November 5, 2019

              Reported by Mr. Alexander, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start 
                                program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Heathy Start 
Reauthorization Act of 2019''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTHY START PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
254c-8) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in subsection (a)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, 
                during fiscal year 2001 and subsequent years,''; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or 
                increasing above the national average'' after ``areas 
                with high'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in subsection (b)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking 
                ``consumers of project services, public health 
                departments, hospitals, health centers under section 
                330'' and inserting ``participants and former 
                participants of project services, public health 
                departments, hospitals, health centers under section 
                330, State substance abuse agencies''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in paragraph (2)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) in subparagraph (A), by 
                        striking ``such as low birthweight'' and 
                        inserting ``including poor birth outcomes (such 
                        as low birthweight and preterm birth) and 
                        social determinants of health'';</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
                        (B) as subparagraph (C);</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) by inserting after 
                        subparagraph (A), the following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Communities with--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) high rates of infant 
                        mortality or poor perinatal outcomes; 
                        or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) high rates of infant 
                        mortality or poor perinatal outcomes in 
                        specific subpopulations within the 
                        community.''; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) in subparagraph (C) (as so 
                        redesignated)--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) by redesignating 
                                clauses (i) and (ii) as clauses (ii) 
                                and (iii), respectively;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) by inserting before 
                                clause (ii) (as so redesignated) the 
                                following:</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) collaboration with the local 
                        community in the development of the 
                        project;'';</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (III) in clause (ii) (as 
                                so redesignated), by striking ``and'' 
                                at the end;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (IV) in clause (iii) (as 
                                so redesignated), by striking the 
                                period and inserting ``; and''; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (V) by adding at the end 
                                the following:</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) the use and collection of 
                        data demonstrating the effectiveness of such 
                        program in decreasing infant mortality rates 
                        and improving perinatal outcomes, as 
                        applicable, or the process by which new 
                        applicants plan to collect this 
                        data.'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) in subsection (c)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) by striking ``Recipients of grants'' 
                and inserting the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--Recipients of grants''; 
        and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) by adding at the end the 
                following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Other programs.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        coordination of the program carried out pursuant to this 
        section with other programs and activities related to the 
        reduction of the rate of infant mortality and improved 
        perinatal and infant health outcomes supported by the 
        Department.'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) in subsection (e)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking 
                ``appropriated--'' and all that follows through the end 
                and inserting ``appropriated $122,500,000 for each of 
                fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by adding at the 
                end the following: ``Evaluations may also include, to 
                the extent practicable, information related to--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) progress toward achieving 
                        any grant metrics or outcomes related to 
                        reducing infant mortality rates, improving 
                        perinatal outcomes, or reducing the disparity 
                        in health status;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) recommendations on 
                        potential improvements that may assist with 
                        addressing gaps, as applicable and appropriate; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) the extent to which the 
                        grantee coordinated with the community in which 
                        the grantee is located in the development of 
                        the project and delivery of services, including 
                        with respect to technical assistance and 
                        mentorship programs.''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(f) GAO Report.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after 
        the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Comptroller 
        General of the United States shall conduct an independent 
        evaluation, and submit to the appropriate Committees of 
        Congress a report, concerning the Healthy Start program under 
        this section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Evaluation.--In conducting the evaluation 
        under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall consider, as 
        applicable and appropriate, information from the evaluations 
        under subsection (e)(2)(B).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Report.--The report described in paragraph 
        (1) shall review, assess, and provide recommendations, as 
        appropriate, on the following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) The allocation of Healthy Start 
                program grants by the Health Resources and Services 
                Administration, including considerations made by such 
                Administration regarding disparities in infant 
                mortality or perinatal outcomes among urban and rural 
                areas in making such awards.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Trends in the progress made toward 
                meeting the evaluation criteria pursuant to subsection 
                (e)(2)(B), including programs which decrease infant 
                mortality rates and improve perinatal outcomes, 
                programs that have not decreased infant mortality rates 
                or improved perinatal outcomes, and programs that have 
                made an impact on disparities in infant mortality or 
                perinatal outcomes.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) The ability of grantees to improve 
                health outcomes for project participants, promote the 
                awareness of the Healthy Start program services, 
                incorporate and promote family participation, 
                facilitate coordination with the community in which the 
                grantee is located, and increase grantee accountability 
                through quality improvement, performance monitoring, 
                evaluation, and the effect such metrics may have toward 
                decreasing the rate of infant mortality and improve 
                perinatal outcomes.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) The extent to which such Federal 
                programs are coordinated across agencies and the 
                identification of opportunities for improved 
                coordination in such Federal programs and 
                activities.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTHY START PROGRAM.

    Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, during fiscal 
                year 2001 and subsequent years,''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or increasing 
                above the national average'' after ``areas with high'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``consumers of 
                project services, public health departments, hospitals, 
                health centers under section 330'' and inserting 
                ``participants and former participants of project 
                services, public health departments, hospitals, health 
                centers under section 330, State substance abuse 
                agencies''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``such 
                        as low birthweight'' and inserting ``including 
                        poor birth outcomes (such as low birthweight 
                        and preterm birth) and social determinants of 
                        health'';
                            (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
                        subparagraph (C);
                            (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A), 
                        the following:
                    ``(B) Communities with--
                            ``(i) high rates of infant mortality or 
                        poor perinatal outcomes; or
                            ``(ii) high rates of infant mortality or 
                        poor perinatal outcomes in specific 
                        subpopulations within the community.''; and
                            (iv) in subparagraph (C) (as so 
                        redesignated)--
                                    (I) by redesignating clauses (i) 
                                and (ii) as clauses (ii) and (iii), 
                                respectively;
                                    (II) by inserting before clause 
                                (ii) (as so redesignated) the 
                                following:
                            ``(i) collaboration with the local 
                        community in the development of the project;'';
                                    (III) in clause (ii) (as so 
                                redesignated), by striking ``and'' at 
                                the end;
                                    (IV) in clause (iii) (as so 
                                redesignated), by striking the period 
                                and inserting ``; and''; and
                                    (V) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                            ``(iv) the use and collection of data 
                        demonstrating the effectiveness of such program 
                        in decreasing infant mortality rates and 
                        improving perinatal outcomes, as applicable, or 
                        the process by which new applicants plan to 
                        collect this data.'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking ``Recipients of grants'' and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Recipients of grants''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Other programs.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        coordination of the program carried out pursuant to this 
        section with other programs and activities related to the 
        reduction of the rate of infant mortality and improved 
        perinatal and infant health outcomes supported by the 
        Department.'';
            (4) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``appropriated--
                '' and all that follows through the end and inserting 
                ``appropriated $122,500,000 for each of fiscal years 
                2020 through 2024.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by adding at the end the 
                following: ``Evaluations may also include, to the 
                extent practicable, information related to--
                            ``(i) progress toward achieving any grant 
                        metrics or outcomes related to reducing infant 
                        mortality rates, improving perinatal outcomes, 
                        or reducing the disparity in health status;
                            ``(ii) recommendations on potential 
                        improvements that may assist with addressing 
                        gaps, as applicable and appropriate; and
                            ``(iii) the extent to which the grantee 
                        coordinated with the community in which the 
                        grantee is located in the development of the 
                        project and delivery of services, including 
                        with respect to technical assistance and 
                        mentorship programs.''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) GAO Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this subsection, the Comptroller General of 
        the United States shall conduct an independent evaluation, and 
        submit to the appropriate Committees of Congress a report, 
        concerning the Healthy Start program under this section.
            ``(2) Evaluation.--In conducting the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall consider, as 
        applicable and appropriate, information from the evaluations 
        under subsection (e)(2)(B).
            ``(3) Report.--The report described in paragraph (1) shall 
        review, assess, and provide recommendations, as appropriate, on 
        the following:
                    ``(A) The allocation of Healthy Start program 
                grants by the Health Resources and Services 
                Administration, including considerations made by such 
                Administration regarding disparities in infant 
                mortality or perinatal outcomes among urban and rural 
                areas in making such awards.
                    ``(B) Trends in the progress made toward meeting 
                the evaluation criteria pursuant to subsection 
                (e)(2)(B), including programs which decrease infant 
                mortality rates and improve perinatal outcomes, 
                programs that have not decreased infant mortality rates 
                or improved perinatal outcomes, and programs that have 
                made an impact on disparities in infant mortality or 
                perinatal outcomes.
                    ``(C) The ability of grantees to improve health 
                outcomes for project participants, promote the 
                awareness of the Healthy Start program services, 
                incorporate and promote family participation, 
                facilitate coordination with the community in which the 
                grantee is located, and increase grantee accountability 
                through quality improvement, performance monitoring, 
                evaluation, and the effect such metrics may have toward 
                decreasing the rate of infant mortality and improving 
                perinatal outcomes.
                    ``(D) The extent to which such Federal programs are 
                coordinated across agencies and the identification of 
                opportunities for improved coordination in such Federal 
                programs and activities.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 288

116th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 2619

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start 
                                program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            November 5, 2019

                       Reported with an amendment