Kim Schrier
09/25/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2026 15:55
Congresswoman Schrier Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Life-Saving Newborn Health Screenings
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) introduced the Surge to Save Newborns Act alongside Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23). This legislation would provide states with federal resources to implement newborn screening for conditions included on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), ensuring more newborns benefit from early detection and timely care.
"As a pediatrician, I've taken care of patients whose conditions were discovered early on their newborn screen. Because we had the resources to screen for these diseases, we were able to help babies right away and save lives. However, states often lack the resources to screen for each condition listed on the recommended panel, which puts our children at risk," said Congresswoman Schrier. "I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure that newborns in Washington state and across the country are screened for all of these treatable conditions at birth."
BACKGROUND: Newborn screening helps identify certain serious health conditions shortly after birth so that affected children can receive appropriate follow-up care. The federal government maintains a Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), which identifies conditions recommended for inclusion in state newborn screening programs. However, adding a condition to the federal recommended panel does not necessarily mean that every state immediately implements screening for that condition.
The Surge to Save Newborns Act would provide states with dedicated federal resources to help implement newborn screening for conditions included on the RUSP. However, it can still be a challenge for children to access primary care. This legislation would address this issue by bolstering the pediatric vaccine delivery system and supporting primary care physicians who participate in the program.
The Surge to Save Newborns Act would:
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Help states move recommended newborn screening conditions from federal recommendation to implementation.
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Provide dedicated resources to address state implementation needs while preserving state responsibility for operating newborn screening programs.
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Create annual visibility into which recommended conditions each state has and has not yet implemented.
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Pair federal funding with accountability by requiring HHS to assess grant effectiveness and report back to Congress.
"One of our most sacred duties as a society is to protect our newborn babies," said Congressman Langworthy. "We already have the technological advancements to detect serious conditions-now we must do everything in our power to ensure that every single newborn has access to them. Adding a condition to the federal recommended panel is a good first step, but we need to make sure that states have the resources to put the screenings into practice. This bill will literally save lives and help get these precious babies into treatment before it's too late. We have to get this done."
The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of rare-disease patient advocacy organizations, family foundations and children's health organizations representing families affected by conditions that can be detected through newborn screening, including the Children's Hospital Association, ALD Alliance, ALD Connect, Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome Advocacy Association, Association for Creatine Deficiencies, Believing for Bryleigh Foundation, Conner's Crusade, CTX Alliance, Cure ALD, HCU Network America, Hunter's Hope Foundation, Judson's Legacy, Katelynn's Butterfly Kisses, Krabbe Connect, Little Hercules Foundation, MLD Foundation, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, Project Alive, the RARE Foundation, Remember The Girls, The Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders, United Leukodystrophy Foundation, United MSD Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders , and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
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Kim Schrier published this content on September 25, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 25, 2026 at 21:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]