# 116-hr-5189: BABIES Act

116-hr-5189, BABIES Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] (D-MA); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5189
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5189
- Congress: 116
- Title: BABIES Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Introduced: 2019-11-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Birth Access Benefiting Improved Essential Facility Services Act or the BABIES Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a Medicaid demonstration program to improve freestanding birth center services for women with low-risk pregnancies. Among other things, the CMS must (1) publish criteria for freestanding birth centers to participate in the program, including specified accreditation, licensure, and service requirements; (2) publish guidance for states to establish prospective payment systems under Medicaid for program participants; and (3) award planning grants for states to develop program proposals. The CMS may choose up to six states to participate in the program.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2019-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA), 2019-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA), 2019-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40] (D-CA), 2020-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2020-09-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD), 2020-09-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-7642: Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act
- 116-hr-4104: Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
- 116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act
- 116-hr-1570: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020
- 116-hr-1379: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 116-hr-737: Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019

## Sources
- [116-hr-5189 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5189)

## Related
- [116-hr-7642: Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7642)
- [116-hr-4104: Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4104)
- [116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2382)
- [116-hr-1570: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1570)
- [116-hr-1379: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-1379)
- [116-hr-737: Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-737)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5189 (as of 2025-11-18).