Baby Brent’s Bill
Sponsored By: Representative Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Introduced
Summary
Protecting preterm infants from misleading formula marketing. This bill would require the Federal Trade Commission to investigate advertising and labeling of preterm infant formula and to ban unfair or deceptive practices.
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- Parents and families: Would push manufacturers to disclose health risks and differences between human milk-based fortifiers and bovine fortifiers. It affirms parents' right to be fully informed and to pursue legal recourse if harm occurs, and notes that NEC kills about 1 baby per day.
- Manufacturers and importers: Would be prohibited from engaging in unfair or deceptive advertising or labeling for preterm infant formula. Violations would be treated as breaches of Federal Trade Commission rules and subject to FTC enforcement.
- Federal Trade Commission: Would be required to investigate and deliver a report with recommendations within 1 year, and to issue regulations within 18 months after the report. The report requirement is exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Parents of preterm infants: new ad rules
If enacted, the FTC would study advertising for preterm infant formula and report to Congress within one year. The bill would define "preterm infant" as born before 37 weeks or as low birth weight. It would define "preterm infant formula" as formula exempt under 21 U.S.C. 350a(h)(1) intended for those infants. The FTC would consider missing health-risk labels and missing differences between human and bovine fortifiers. The FTC study would be exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act. If the FTC files its report, it would have 18 months to write rules banning unfair or deceptive ads. Rule violations would be treated as violations of the FTC Act and could face enforcement.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Cosponsors
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
CT • D
Sponsored 7/27/2026
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov