42 U.S.C. § 254c–8: Healthy start for infants

Summary

The Secretary, through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, must keep and can expand the Healthy Start program across the country. Healthy Start gives grants to places with high or rising infant death rates to try to lower those deaths and improve care around birth. Applicants for grants must form community groups that include local health agencies, hospitals, health centers, state substance abuse agencies, program participants and former participants, and other local health partners. When awarding grants, the Secretary must weigh things like causes of infant deaths (for example, low birthweight, preterm birth, and social factors), communities or groups with high rates of poor birth outcomes, and whether applicants will work with the community, use community-based services, offer broad women’s health care to improve birth outcomes, and collect data that shows the program is working. Grants can also fund special projects for U.S.-Mexico border communities, Alaska, and Hawaii. Grantees must coordinate with the state agencies that run Title V maternal and child health programs, and the Secretary must coordinate this program with other federal programs aimed at lowering infant deaths. Congress authorized $125,500,000 each year for fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for this work. Up to 5 percent of each year’s money may be set aside for program coordination, sharing information, technical help, and data work, and up to 1 percent may be used for evaluations. Those evaluations must check if projects reduced health gaps for racial and ethnic minorities and may look at progress toward grant goals, suggested improvements, and how grantees worked with their communities. The Comptroller General must do an independent review and send a report to Congress no later than 4 years after March 27, 2020, looking at how grants were given, progress and trends, grantee performance, and federal coordination, and offering recommendations.

Title 42, §254c–8

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

(1)Continuation and expansion of program

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, shall under authority of this section continue in effect the Healthy Start Initiative and may carry out such program on a national basis.

(2)Definition

For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “Healthy Start Initiative” is a reference to the program that, as an initiative to reduce the rate of infant mortality and improve perinatal outcomes, makes grants for project areas with high or increasing above the national average annual rates of infant mortality and that, prior to the effective date of this section, was a demonstration program carried out under section 241 of this title.

(b)Considerations in making grants

(1)Requirements

In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall require that applicants (in addition to meeting all eligibility criteria established by the Secretary) establish, for project areas under such subsection, community-based consortia of individuals and organizations (including agencies responsible for administering block grant programs under title V of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.], participants and former participants of project services, public health departments, hospitals, health centers under section 254b of this title, State substance abuse agencies, and other significant sources of health care services) that are appropriate for participation in projects under subsection (a).

(2)Other considerations

In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the following:

(A)Factors that contribute to infant mortality, including poor birth outcomes (such as low birthweight and preterm birth) and social determinants of health.

(B)Communities with—

(i)high rates of infant mortality or poor perinatal outcomes; or

(ii)high rates of infant mortality or poor perinatal outcomes in specific subpopulations within the community.

(C)The extent to which applicants for such grants facilitate—

(i)collaboration with the local community in the development of the project;

(ii)a community-based approach to the delivery of services;

(iii)a comprehensive approach to women’s health care to improve perinatal outcomes; and

(iv)the use and collection of data demonstrating the effectiveness of such program in decreasing infant mortality rates and improving perinatal outcomes, as applicable, or the process by which new applicants plan to collect this data.

(3)Special projects

Nothing in paragraph (2) shall be construed to prevent the Secretary from awarding grants under subsection (a) for special projects that are intended to address significant disparities in perinatal health indicators in communities along the United States-Mexico border or in Alaska or Hawaii.

(c)Coordination

(1)In general

Recipients of grants under subsection (a) shall coordinate their services and activities with the State agency or agencies that administer block grant programs under title V of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.] in order to promote cooperation, integration, and dissemination of information with Statewide systems and with other community services funded under the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.

(2)Other programs

The Secretary shall ensure coordination of the program carried out pursuant to this section with other programs and activities related to the reduction of the rate of infant mortality and improved perinatal and infant health outcomes supported by the Department.

(d)Rule of construction

Except to the extent inconsistent with this section, this section may not be construed as affecting the authority of the Secretary to make modifications in the program carried out under subsection (a).

(e)Funding

(1)Authorization of appropriations

For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $125,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

(2)Allocation

(A)Program administration

Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up to 5 percent for coordination, dissemination, technical assistance, and data activities that are determined by the Secretary to be appropriate for carrying out the program under this section.

(B)Evaluation

Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up to 1 percent for evaluations of projects carried out under subsection (a). Each such evaluation shall include a determination of whether such projects have been effective in reducing the disparity in health status between the general population and individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups. Evaluations may also include, to the extent practicable, information related to—

(i)progress toward achieving any grant metrics or outcomes related to reducing infant mortality rates, improving perinatal outcomes, or reducing the disparity in health status;

(ii)recommendations on potential improvements that may assist with addressing gaps, as applicable and appropriate; and

(iii)the extent to which the grantee coordinated with the community in which the grantee is located in the development of the project and delivery of services, including with respect to technical assistance and mentorship programs.

(f)GAO report

(1)In general

Not later than 4 years after March 27, 2020, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an independent evaluation, and submit to the appropriate Committees of Congress a report, concerning the Healthy Start program under this section.

(2)Evaluation

In conducting the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall consider, as applicable and appropriate, information from the evaluations under subsection (e)(2)(B).

(3)Report

The report described in paragraph (1) shall review, assess, and provide recommendations, as appropriate, on the following:

(A)The allocation of Healthy Start program grants by the Health Resources and Services Administration, including considerations made by such Administration regarding disparities in infant mortality or perinatal outcomes among urban and rural areas in making such awards.

(B)Trends in the progress made toward meeting the evaluation criteria pursuant to subsection (e)(2)(B), including programs which decrease infant mortality rates and improve perinatal outcomes, programs that have not decreased infant mortality rates or improved perinatal outcomes, and programs that have made an impact on disparities in infant mortality or perinatal outcomes.

(C)The ability of grantees to improve health outcomes for project participants, promote the awareness of the Healthy Start program services, incorporate and promote family participation, facilitate coordination with the community in which the grantee is located, and increase grantee accountability through quality improvement, performance monitoring, evaluation, and the effect such metrics may have toward decreasing the rate of infant mortality and improving perinatal outcomes.

(D)The extent to which such Federal programs are coordinated across agencies and the identification of opportunities for improved coordination in such Federal programs and activities.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The

Effective Date

of this section, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 106–310, which was approved Oct. 17, 2000. The Social Security Act, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1) and (c)(1), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Title V of the Act is classified generally to subchapter V (§ 701 et seq.) of chapter 7 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(1)(A), struck out “, during fiscal year 2001 and subsequent years,” after “and may”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(1)(B), inserted “or increasing above the national average” after “areas with high”. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(2)(A), substituted “participants and former participants of project services, public health departments, hospitals, health centers under section 254b of this title, State substance abuse agencies” for “consumers of project services, public health departments, hospitals, health centers under section 254b of this title”. Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(2)(B)(i), substituted “including poor birth outcomes (such as low birthweight and preterm birth) and social determinants of health” for “such as low birthweight”. Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(2)(B)(iii), added subpar. (B). Former subpar. (B) redesignated (C). Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(2)(B)(iv), added cl. (i) and (iv) and redesignated former cls. (i) and (ii) as (ii) and (iii), respectively. Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(2)(B)(ii), redesignated subpar. (B) as (C). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(3), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, and added par. (2). Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(4)(A), substituted “appropriated $125,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.” for “appropriated— “(A) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and “(B) for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013, the amount authorized for the preceding fiscal year increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for such year.” Subsec. (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(4)(B), inserted at end “Evaluations may also include, to the extent practicable, information related to—” and added cls. (i) to (iii). Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3225(5), added subsec. (f). 2008—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 110–339, § 2(b)(1), struck out par. (3). Text read as follows: “Effective upon increased funding beyond fiscal year 1999 for such Initiative, additional grants may be made to States to assist communities with technical assistance, replication of successful projects, and State policy formation to reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–339, § 2(a), substituted “Considerations in making grants” for “Requirements for making grants” in heading, designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted par. heading, and added pars. (2) and (3). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–339, § 2(b)(2), (c), added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e) which related to additional services for at-risk pregnant women and infants. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 110–339, § 2(b)(2), struck out subsec. (f) which related to funding of program and additional services for at-risk pregnant women and infants. 2004—Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office” in heading.

§254c–8 Healthy Start for Infants