# 117-hr-5551: Improving the Health of Children Act

117-hr-5551, Improving the Health of Children Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA); status Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5551
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-5551
- Congress: 117
- Title: Improving the Health of Children Act
- Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced: 2021-10-12
- Sponsor: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Improving the Health of Children Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 programs and activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for researching and preventing birth defects, developmental disabilities, and other conditions. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. The center carries out activities to advance the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, including infants with birth defects, children with developmental disabilities, and individuals of all ages with disabilities or blood disorders. In addition, the bill reauthorizes a CDC program that supports research on and raises awareness about the effects of folic acid in preventing birth defects.

## Cosponsors (5)

- Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28] (D-TX), 2021-10-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2021-10-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2021-10-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9] (R-NC), 2021-10-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] (D-CO), 2021-11-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-12-08T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 405 | 20 |

## Related bills

- 117-hr-310: To posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, in recognition of thei…
- 117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act
- 117-hres-881: Condemning the heinous terrorist attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, on January 15, 2022.
- 117-hr-6015: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Build…
- 117-hr-3577: United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act

## Sources
- [117-hr-5551 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5551)

## Related
- [117-hr-310: To posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Glen Doher…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-310)
- [117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1057)
- [117-hres-881: Condemning the heinous terrorist attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyvi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hres-881)
- [117-hr-6015: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-6015)
- [117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 C…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5577)
- [117-hr-3577: United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3577)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5551 (as of 2025-11-18).