S. 1573 would authorize the appropriation of $2 million annually from 2024 through 2028 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue research and educational outreach concerning the causes of preterm labor and how to improve outcomes for preterm and low-birthweight infants. The bill also would require an interagency working group to coordinate, provide recommendations for, and report on the results of those programs and activities. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services would be directed to contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to study premature births. In 2022, CDC allocated $177 million for activities and research related to birth defects and developmental disabilities.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts and using historical spending patterns for those activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1573 would cost $10 million over the 2024-2028 period. Of that amount, $9 million would be for research and education and $1 million would be used to establish the working group and produce the report.
