[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 203 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6799-H6800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PREEMIE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3226) to reauthorize the Prematurity Research Expansion and 
Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3226

       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 ``PREEMIE Reauthorization Act 
     of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. RESEARCH RELATING TO PRETERM LABOR AND DELIVERY AND 
                   THE CARE, TREATMENT, AND OUTCOMES OF PRETERM 
                   AND LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS.

       (a) In General.--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 ``fiscal 
     years 2019 through 2023'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2024 
     through 2028''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Effective as if included in the 
     enactment of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public 
     Law 115-328), section 2 of such Act is amended, in the matter 
     preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``Section 2'' and 
     inserting ``Section 3''.

     SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

       Section 5(a) of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2018 
     (Public Law 115-328) is amended by striking ``The Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with other 
     departments, as appropriate, may establish'' and inserting 
     ``Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of 
     the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023, the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services, in collaboration with other 
     departments, as appropriate, shall establish''.

     SEC. 4. STUDY ON PRETERM BIRTHS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National 
     Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which 
     the National Academies shall--
       (1) not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, convene a committee of experts in maternal health 
     to study premature births in the United States; and
       (2) upon completion of the study under paragraph (1)--
       (A) approve by consensus a report on the results of such 
     study;
       (B) include in such report--
       (i) an assessment of each of the topics listed in 
     subsection (b);
       (ii) the analysis required by subsection (c); and
       (iii) the raw data used to develop such report; and
       (C) not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, transmit such report to--
       (i) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
       (ii) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (iii) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
       (b) Assessment Topics.--The topics listed in this 
     subsection are of each of the following:
       (1) The financial costs of premature birth to society, 
     including--
       (A) an analysis of stays in neonatal intensive care units 
     and the cost of such stays;
       (B) long-term costs of stays in such units to society and 
     the family involved post-discharge; and
       (C) health care costs for families post-discharge from such 
     units (such as medications, therapeutic services, co-pays 
     visits and specialty equipment).
       (2) The factors that impact pre-term birth rates.
       (3) Opportunities for earlier detection of premature birth 
     risk factors, including--
       (A) opportunities to improve maternal and infant health; 
     and
       (B) opportunities for public health programs to provide 
     support and resources for parents in-hospital, in non-
     hospital settings, and post-discharge.
       (c) Analysis.--The analysis required by this subsection is 
     an analysis of--
       (1) targeted research strategies to develop effective 
     drugs, treatments, or interventions to bring at-risk 
     pregnancies to term;
       (2) State and other programs' best practices with respect 
     to reducing premature birth rates; and
       (3) precision medicine and preventative care approaches 
     starting early in the life course (including during 
     pregnancy) with a focus on behavioral and biological 
     influences on premature birth, child health, and the 
     trajectory of such approaches into adulthood.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here today firmly committed to the principle 
that every life is worth living. That starts with giving babies born 
prematurely a fighting chance at growing up and living their lives to 
the fullest.
  In 2021, the preterm birth rate increased to 10.5 percent, which was 
the highest recorded rate since 2007. Last year, 1 in 10 babies were 
born prematurely.
  Premature babies have a higher risk of infant mortality, 
developmental delays, and chronic health conditions.
  This is why I rise today in support of H.R. 3226, the PREEMIE 
Reauthorization Act of 2023, led by Energy and Commerce Committee 
members Dr. Burgess and Dr. Miller-Meeks, Health Subcommittee Ranking 
Member Eshoo, and Representative Robin Kelly.
  The legislation would reauthorize programs that are critical to 
Federal research, education, and intervention activities to reduce 
preterm birth and infant mortality.
  The bill would also authorize a study to identify best practices to 
help detect and prevent preterm births as well as better understand the 
factors that lead to such births.
  This critical legislation will help to reduce preterm births and 
ensure that babies have effective treatments to give them the best 
start in life.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 3226, the PREEMIE 
Reauthorization Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation sponsored by 
Representative Eshoo, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, 
plays a crucial role in improving the care and outcomes for premature 
babies and their families.
  According to the March of Dimes, about 383,000 premature babies were 
born in the United States last year. These babies oftentimes have more 
health problems or need to stay in the hospital longer than full-term 
babies. Some premature babies also face long-term health effects like 
problems that affect the brain, lungs, hearing, or vision.
  Reauthorization of the PREEMIE program will help us to better 
understand the cause of preterm birth and what more can be done to 
prevent preterm births.
  In 2006, Congress passed the PREEMIE Act, which marked a significant 
milestone by pioneering a comprehensive public-private national agenda 
aimed at spurring innovative research initiatives.
  In 2013 and then again in 2018, we reauthorized 5-year extensions to 
the program to continue our country's commitment to address preterm 
birth through Federal research, promoting known interventions and 
successful community outreach programs.
  With this legislation today, we will reauthorize key programs at the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and 
Services Administration. These programs support research and programs 
on preterm birth, improved tracking of national data, and activities 
aimed at promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth.

[[Page H6800]]

  H.R. 3226 also provides for the study of the costs, impact of social 
factors, and gaps in public health programs that lead to prematurity, 
providing us with more vital information. It also calls for the 
Department of Health and Human Services to make recommendations to 
Congress to prevent preterm birth.
  Importantly, the legislation establishes an interagency working group 
at HHS to coordinate all Federal activities and programs related to 
preterm birth, infant mortality, and other adverse birth outcomes.
  Again, I thank Representative Eshoo for her leadership on this 
legislation. I know that she always takes leadership, particularly on 
issues that affect the healthcare of children.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this 
legislation to make a significant impact in the fight against preterm 
birth complications in all of our districts and communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the PREEMIE 
Reauthorization Act of 2023, which will reauthorize critical programs 
to expand research and education into premature birth prevention.
  Every year, 10 percent of babies are born prematurely, putting them 
and their mothers at an increased risk of complicated health problems.
  In 2022, there were over 380,000 preterm births, and every year, 
almost 20,000 babies in the United States will die before their first 
birthday, many of them from complications of premature birth. 
Unfortunately, Georgia has one of the highest preterm birth rates in 
the country.
  Babies born prematurely shouldn't be at a disadvantage because of a 
lack of resources. Every single baby born deserves a healthy start and 
a fair chance at life.
  That is why it is so important for us to reauthorize the PREEMIE Act, 
which will continue lifesaving research to prevent premature births and 
give mothers and babies healthy starts in both motherhood and life.

  The bipartisan effort will reauthorize critical Federal research, 
education, and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and 
infant mortality.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the reauthorization 
of this bill and support maternal health.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Eshoo), the ranking member of our Subcommittee on 
Health.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the full 
committee for yielding time.
  Today, the House is going to vote on my legislation, H.R. 3226, the 
PREEMIE Reauthorization Act. I thank the co-leads of this legislation: 
Representatives Miller-Meeks, Kelly of Illinois, Burgess, Blunt 
Rochester, and Kiggans for their work on this important effort.
  I first introduced the PREEMIE Act in 2005. It is the first and 
remains the only law to focus solely on the prevention of preterm 
births.
  H.R. 3226 will improve future policy by studying the current gaps in 
our healthcare system that have kept rates of preterm births high and 
by crafting recommendations for how to address them.
  Every day in the United States, 1 in 10 infants are born prematurely, 
placing them and their mothers at an increased risk of complicated 
health problems.
  America's prematurity rate is one of the highest in the developed 
world, and it is the leading cause of newborn death.
  Even babies born just a few weeks prematurely can face serious health 
challenges. We saw a significant 4 percent increase in preterm births 
in 2021, the highest recorded rate since 2007.
  This bill was advanced by the Subcommittee on Health and the full 
Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously and enjoys bipartisan 
cosponsorship.
  The PREEMIE Act will help prevent newborn death and disability, 
expand research into the causes of preterm birth, and promote the 
development, availability, and uses of evidence-based standards of care 
for pregnant women. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support 
it.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and am prepared 
to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of the bill on a 
bipartisan basis. Obviously, reauthorizing and expanding this program 
for preemies is very important for children.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I think Ms. Eshoo just stepped off the floor, Mr. Speaker, but my 
good friend from California announced she is not running for 
reelection. She is the primary sponsor of this bill in the House, and 
it is an important bill.
  All life is important. It is important that we move forward and give 
everybody an equal chance to live a full, productive, and happy life.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill.
  I appreciate my friend from California, Mr. Speaker, for all of her 
hard work. We will miss her, but we have another year to continue to 
work on good things like this.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3226, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________