Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act passes House and moves to Senate

The House of Representatives passed the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2507), a bill to eliminate preventable newborn deaths and severe disabilities through the increased use of comprehensive and standardized newborn screening tests.

This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes critical federal activities that help states improve and expand their newborn screening programs, support newborn screening education for parents and providers, and ensure laboratory quality and surveillance. The bill renews funding for the programs of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which was originally introduced in the House by Reps. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) and Congressman Mike Simpson (ID-02), and was passed and signed into law in 2008. The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act was last reauthorized in 2014.

While the bill still needs to pass through the Senate to become a law, this is a remarkable first step towards that goal. A Senate companion bill, S. 2158, was introduced by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Cory Gardner (R-CO).