To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for certain health coverage of newborns.

119th Congress Introduced by Nanette Barragán and 3 co-sponsors

The bill aims to ensure or expand health coverage for newborns by harmonizing coverage requirements across public programs, employer plans, and tax provisions.

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 9996 (Session 119)

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to amend several major health-related statutes—the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986—to ensure and/or expand health coverage for newborns.

The overarching goal is to provide or improve health coverage for newborns, aligning funding, eligibility, and coverage requirements across public health programs, private employer-sponsored plans, and tax-related provisions.

Key provisions and changes (types of changes anticipated by the bill)

Public Health Service Act: Amendments likely to establish or strengthen requirements related to newborn health coverage, including conditions of coverage, preventive services, and potential federal standards or incentives for ensuring newborns have health coverage.

ERISA: Provisions to apply or extend coverage requirements to employer-sponsored health plans, ensuring that newborns are covered and that plan terms reflect newborn-specific benefits or minimum standards.

Internal Revenue Code: Tax provisions possibly addressing subsidies, penalties, or incentives linked to newborn health coverage, including potential changes to how coverage is treated for newborns in tax-advantaged plans or health-related credits for families.

Administrative and enforcement elements: The bill may specify the roles of federal agencies, reporting, and compliance mechanisms to ensure plans and providers meet the newborn coverage requirements.

Who would be affected

Newborns and their families: Primary beneficiaries through expanded or ensured coverage for medical services after birth.

Employers and sponsors of group health plans: ERISA-covered plans would need to adjust to meet any newborn coverage standards.

Individuals obtaining coverage through the individual market: May see changes in minimum coverage requirements or eligibility tied to newborns.

Federal and state health programs: Potential alignment or interaction with public health funding and regulatory oversight.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced in the House on 2026-07-30.

Referred to multiple committees: Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means for consideration of provisions within their jurisdiction.

No specific effective date, funding level, or phased-in timeline is provided in the summary information available here. If enacted, the bill would likely require regulation, rulemaking, or guidance to implement across the Public Health Service Act, ERISA-regulated plans, and the tax code.

Notes for readers

The bill’s text would specify exact changes to definitions, coverage mandates, and eligibility rules for newborns. Readers should consult the bill’s full language for precise provisions, including any exemptions, transition rules, and funding implications.

As with any measure involving health coverage, potential impacts include changes to premium costs for employers, compliance burdens for health plans, and potential tax implications for families, depending on the final form of the provisions.