New legislation in Congress would provide states with dedicated federal resources to implement newborn screenings for serious health conditions. On Friday, Congressman Nick Langworthy was joined by former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and his wife Jill in announcing the introduction of the bipartisan Surge to Save Newborns Act, which is co-led by Washington Democrat Kim Schrier. The bill would establish a new federal grant program specifically designed to help states implement screenings for conditions included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel. It would provide $35 million annually for states to strengthen their newborn screening infrastructure and implement recommended screenings. Jim and Jill Kelly lost their sun, Hunter, to Krabbe disease.
Langworthy says, "One of our most sacred duties as a society is to protect our newborn babies. 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."
Photo by Congressman Nick Langworthy's Office
