The NEWBORN Act establishes new, prioritized grant programs through the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund five-year pilot projects aimed at reducing infant mortality in high-risk counties.
Chris Van Hollen
Senator
MD
The Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now (NEWBORN) Act establishes new pilot programs to combat infant mortality across the U.S. These programs will award grants to eligible entities to develop community-specific outreach and support services, prioritizing areas with the highest mortality rates. Funds will support critical services for at-risk mothers, such as prenatal care, smoking cessation, and postpartum support. Grantees must submit annual reports detailing their methods and outcomes for evaluation.
Newborn Act Allocates $10M Annually for Pilot Programs Targeting Highest Infant Mortality Counties
The Nationally Enhancing the Well-being of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act, or the NEWBORN Act, is setting up a new federal effort to tackle infant mortality. This bill authorizes $10 million annually from Fiscal Year 2025 through 2029 to fund five-year pilot grant programs managed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The core idea is to put federal money directly into the communities that need it most, focusing on the 50 counties with the highest infant mortality rates in the country.
Targeting the Hot Spots: Where the Money Goes
If you live in one of the areas hit hardest by infant mortality, this bill is designed to get resources to your local health department fast. The grants will prioritize applicants—which can be county, city, Tribal, or state health departments—that plan to operate in those top 50 high-risk counties, based on the last three years of data. This means the federal government is using hard data to direct aid, rather than spreading it thin. The grants also favor programs that zero in on specific, serious issues like premature birth, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and birth defects. Basically, if your local health department has a plan to fix a specific, measurable problem in a high-need area, they move to the front of the line.
Comprehensive Care Beyond the Clinic
What makes these grants interesting is the flexibility in how the money can be used. It’s not just for doctors’ visits; it’s for comprehensive support that recognizes that social and economic factors play a huge role in infant health. Grantees can use the funds to create standardized systems that connect women and babies with better social, educational, and clinical services. For at-risk mothers, this could mean funding for smoking cessation programs, drug or alcohol treatment, nutrition counseling, help with postpartum depression, or even domestic violence resources and parenting classes. If you’re a new mom in a rural area, the bill specifically allows for special outreach programs designed just for you. This approach is about building a safety net that catches families before they fall.
The Fine Print: Coordination and Accountability
There are a few important checks and balances built into the program. First, any entity receiving a grant must coordinate their efforts with the local county health department and any existing groups already working on infant mortality. This is crucial for avoiding duplication and ensuring that new programs fit into the existing local landscape. Second, the bill mandates accountability: grantees must report to the Secretary every year on their methods, outcomes, and statistics. However, there’s a cap: no more than 10 percent of the annual grant money can be spent on program evaluation. While $10 million a year is a solid investment in public health, the Administrator of HRSA has some latitude to decide which outreach programs are “appropriate,” which means the effectiveness of this bill will ultimately depend on smart, targeted decisions at the federal level during implementation.