The Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act (NEWBORN Act) authorizes federal grants to establish infant mortality pilot programs in counties or county groups with the highest infant mortality rates. Eligible entities—local, tribal, or state health departments—may receive grants of up to five years to design and run these pilots, with funded activities ranging from community outreach and needs assessments to standardized service delivery systems, postpartum care, and education campaigns.
Preference goes to programs targeting key risk factors such as birth defects, preterm birth, SIDS, maternal complications, or infant injuries.
At a Glance
What It Does
Creates an infant mortality pilot program by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to eligible health entities, for up to five years per grant, in high-rate counties.
Who It Affects
Eligible entities (county, city, territorial, tribal health departments, or state health departments) and the mothers and infants in the pilot counties who receive outreach and services.
Why It Matters
Targets persistent infant mortality disparities with data-driven pilots and coordinated services, potentially informing broader policy and practice if successful.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The NEWBORN Act sets up a targeted federal grant program to fight infant mortality in the United States. It amends the Public Health Service Act to create infant mortality pilot programs—grants awarded to eligible local, tribal, or state health departments.
Grants can last up to five years, and applicants must show how they will address the highest-need areas, specifically focusing on the counties with the worst infant mortality rates based on recent data. Eligible activities include community needs assessments, outreach to at-risk mothers, and the establishment of standardized, integrated systems to improve access to social, educational, and clinical services that support healthy pregnancies and infants.
Programs may also include rural outreach and a regional public education campaign to reduce preterm births and educate the public about infant mortality.
The act also defines who administers and who qualifies as an eligible entity, and it assigns a funding floor—$10 million per fiscal year from 2025 through 2029—to support these pilots. Grantees must report within one year of funding and annually thereafter, detailing their methodologies and outcomes, which the Secretary will use to evaluate the pilots and conduct further statistical research.
The law places a 10 percent cap on funds that may be used for program evaluation, ensuring most resources go to direct program activities rather than measurement. These provisions create a framework to test targeted interventions that could reduce disparities and inform future public health strategies.
The Five Things You Need to Know
Grants to eligible local, tribal, or state health departments to create infant mortality pilot programs, up to five years each.
$10,000,000 is authorized annually for 2025–2029 to fund these pilots.
Grant awards prioritize counties with the highest infant mortality rates and programs addressing birth defects, preterm birth, SIDS, maternal complications, or infant injuries.
Funds may be used for planning, outreach, needs assessments, and standardized systems to improve access and quality of a broad range of services; rural outreach and public education campaigns are included.
Grantees must submit annual reports detailing methodology and outcomes; the Secretary will evaluate and conduct statistical research using these reports.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short title
This Act may be cited as the Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act, or the NEWBORN Act.
Infant Mortality Pilot Programs
Amends Section 330H of the Public Health Service Act by adding a new subsection (e) to authorize infant mortality pilot programs. Grants are awarded to eligible entities for up to five years, with preferences given to counties (or groups of counties) with the highest infant mortality rates and to programs addressing priority risk factors (birth defects, preterm birth, SIDS, maternal complications, injuries). Funds may support needs assessments, outreach to at-risk mothers, development of standardized service delivery systems, rural outreach, and regional public education campaigns, among other activities. Definitions for Administrator, Eligible Entity, and Tribal Health Department are provided, ensuring clear eligibility and administration.
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Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- County health departments in the 50 highest IMR counties gain funding and discretion to design targeted pilots.
- State health departments in states with centralized health systems benefit from coordinating pilots and leveraging state infrastructure.
- Tribal health departments and urban Indian organizations can establish pilots within their communities.
- Nonprofit public health entities partnering with local health departments can implement programs and share resources.
- Mothers and infants in high-risk communities gain access to outreach, services, and education designed to reduce mortality and improve outcomes.
Who Bears the Cost
- Grantees (eligible entities) bear most program implementation costs beyond the allowed 10% for evaluation.
- The federal government bears the cost of annual appropriations to fund the pilots (the $10 million per year).
- HRSA and the Administrator incur costs to administer, monitor, and evaluate the programs, including collection and analysis of reports.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing targeted, high-need interventions with equitable national coverage and the capacity to evaluate results without undercutting program delivery.
The bill’s targeted, geographically focused approach can rapidly deploy interventions where infant mortality remains highest, but it risks creating uneven outcomes if other high-need areas are left unaddressed. Administrative complexity, reliance on local entities to implement cross-sector strategies, and data collection across diverse jurisdictions could complicate evaluation and scaling.
The 10% evaluation cap ensures most funds are used for direct services, but it may constrain rigorous measurement and learning needs. Coordination with existing local, state, and tribal programs will be essential to prevent duplication and to maximize impact.
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