NEST Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6096 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6096

  To amend title V of the Social Security Act to include as a special 
      project of regional and national significance the purchase, 
  acquisition, and distribution to mothers of newborn infants newborn 
                  supply kits, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2025

   Ms. Letlow (for herself, Ms. Schrier, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, and Ms. 
  Barragan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title V of the Social Security Act to include as a special 
      project of regional and national significance the purchase, 
  acquisition, and distribution to mothers of newborn infants newborn 
                  supply kits, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Newborns Essentials Support Toolkit 
Act'' or the ``NEST Act''.

SEC. 2. NEWBORN SUPPLY KITS.

    (a) In General.--Section 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 701(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and for evidence-based programs'' and 
        inserting ``for evidence-based programs''; and
            (2) by inserting before ``; and'' at the end the following: 
        ``, and for the purchase, acquisition, and distribution of 
        newborn supply kits distributed in accordance with subsection 
        (d)''.
    (b) Newborn Supply Kit Defined.--Section 501(b) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(5) The term `newborn supply kit' means a kit composed of 
        essential goods to help mothers recover from childbirth and 
        care for newborn infants that includes the following items:
                    ``(A) Diapers, wipes, hygiene items, blankets, and 
                thermometers for newborn infants.
                    ``(B) Postpartum pads, lotion, cold packs, 
                breastfeeding supplies, information on the National 
                Maternal Mental Health Hotline established under 
                section 399V-7 of the Public Health Service Act, 
                information on the National Women's Health and 
                Breastfeeding Helpline and additional educational 
                material on breastfeeding, information about Federal 
                programs providing support to postpartum women and 
                children, such as the special supplemental nutrition 
                program for women, infants, and children under section 
                17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, and evidence-
                based educational material on the use of low-dose 
                aspirin to address hypertension, preeclampsia, and 
                preterm birth.
                    ``(C) A blood pressure monitor.
                    ``(D) Other items necessary to support infant and 
                postpartum health (as determined by the Secretary).''.
    (c) Set-aside.--Section 501(c) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 701(c)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
    ``(5) For each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, of the funds made 
available under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may 
reserve not more than $5,000,000 for the purpose of enabling the 
Secretary to provide for special projects of regional and national 
significance for the purchase, acquisition, and distribution of newborn 
supply kits in accordance with subsection (d).''.
    (d) Administration.--Section 501 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 701) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d)(1) In purchasing or acquiring newborn supply kits using funds 
made available under subsection (c)(5), the Secretary shall make grants 
or enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit entities that have 
a multi-state presence to procure such newborn supply kits for new 
mothers, such as community-based organizations, Federally qualified 
health centers (as defined in section 1861(aa)), Tribal organizations 
(as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), and birthing hospitals.
    ``(2) In distributing newborn supply kits purchased or acquired 
using funds made available under subsection (c)(5), the entity that 
distributes such kits shall, as a condition on the receipt of such 
funds--
            ``(A) partner with a local organizations that serve the 
        locations where such newborn supply kits are to be distributed;
            ``(B) to the maximum extent practicable, ensure the 
        geographical diversity of the recipients of such newborn supply 
        kits;
            ``(C) give priority to geographic areas with the greatest 
        need, such as maternity care deserts, rural communities, and 
        communities with the highest maternal mortality rates (such as 
        the Delta region); and
            ``(D) give priority to mothers or newborn infants whose 
        family income does not exceed 185 percent of the poverty line 
        (as defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block 
        Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) for a family of the size 
        involved.''.
    (e) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date on 
        which the first grant or cooperative agreement is awarded 
        pursuant to the amendment made by subsection (a), the Secretary 
        shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
        on the progress of the grants or cooperative agreements so 
        awarded, including--
                    (A) the number of mothers served under the grants 
                or cooperative agreements during the period covered by 
                the report (disaggregated by race, family income level, 
                and number of individuals in the household);
                    (B) the regions in the United States in which 
                newborn supply kits are being distributed through such 
                grants or cooperative agreements;
                    (C) feedback from mothers who have received newborn 
                supply kits through such grants or cooperative 
                agreements; and
                    (D) such other information, as determined necessary 
                by the Secretary.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        on which the last grant or cooperative agreement is awarded 
        pursuant to the amendment made by subsection (a) for fiscal 
        year 2030, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress a report on the results of the grants or 
        cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to the amendment made 
        by subsection (a) with respect to maternal and infant health 
        outcomes.
            (3) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives;
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
                                 <all>