,i  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hhci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bf1 #bjbd,ms4 
,caraveo 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,ciscomani1 
,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new      
,york1 ,mr4 ,carson1 and ,mr4 ,cohen7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to require   
the ,secretary of ,health and ,human    
,services to issue guidance to ,states  
on best practices for screening and     
treatment of congenital syphilis under  
,medicaid and the ,children's ,health   
,insurance ,program4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,maternal
 and ,infant ,syphilis ,prevention ,act4
  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the     
following3 7#a7 ,in #bjbb1 there were   
#bjg1bee total syphilis cases in the    
,united ,states1 representing an #hj    
percent increase since #bjah and        
continuing a decades-long upward trend4 
7#b7 ,untreated1 syphilis can seriously 
damage the heart and brain and can cause

 blindness1 deafness1 and paralysis4    
7#c7 ,the increased rise in syphilis    
cases is causing the rise in congenital 
syphilis with more than #c1gjj cases    
documented among newborns in #bjbb1 more
 than #aj times the number diagnosed in 
#bjab4  7#d7 ,when transmitted during   
pregnancy1 congenital syphilis can cause
 miscarriage1 lifelong medical issues1  
and infant death4 ,congenital syphilis  
can present health issues for babies at 
birth1 including neonatal death1        
meningitis1 anemia1 and problems with   
the spleen and liver4 ,if not treated1  
congenital syphilis can cause bone and  
joint problems1 vision and hearing      
problems1 issues with the nervous       
system1 and developmental delays4  7#e7 
,high incidence rates of congenital     
syphilis are often due to lack of timely
 testing or inadequate treatment during 
pregnancy4 ,timely syphilis testing and 
treatment during pregnancy might be able
 to prevent almost #ij percent of       
congenital syphilis cases4  7#f7        

,requirements for syphilis screening    
among pregnant women varies by ,state4  
,the majority of ,states require        
syphilis screening in the first visit1  
significantly less ,states require      
syphilis screenings during the third    
trimester or at delivery4  7#g7         
,screening during the third trimester   
and at delivery can lead to earlier     
detection of congenital syphilis and    
prevent adverse health outcomes for     
mothers and newborn infants4  7#h7      
,increased awareness and education are  
critical in reducing syphilis among     
pregnant women to prevent congenital    
syphilis4  #c4 ,guidance to ,states and 
technical assistance under ,medicaid and
 ,,chip  7a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #ab months after the date of enactment 
of this section1 the ,secretary shall   
issue guidance to ,state ,medicaid      
agencies on best practices with respect 
to actions that ,states may take1       
including by using waivers under section
 #aaae of the ,social ,security ,act    

7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae7 and authorities   
under title ,,xix of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq47 and title ,,xxi
 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;aa et
 seq471 for the following purposes3 7#a7
 ,improving access to expand syphilis   
screening for pregnant women and babies4
  7#b7 ,best practices for educating    
medical professionals and pregnant women
 with respect to syphilis4  7#c7        
,strategies for integrating telehealth  
services and training for providers and 
patients on the use of telehealth1      
including working with interpreters to  
furnish health services and providing   
resources with respect to congenital    
syphilis in multiple languages4  7#d7   
,best practices for increasing testing  
for syphilis in the third trimester and 
at delivery4  7#e7 ,improving treatment 
for syphilis and congenital syphilis4   
7b7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,medicaid ,the term ,medicaid means the 
program established under title ,,xix of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        

,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq474  7#b7         
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,health and ,human    
,services4  7#c7 ,state ,the term ,state
 has the meaning given such term in     
section #aaja7;a77#a7 of the ,social    
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acja7;a77#a77 for purposes of titles   
,,xix and ,,xxi of such ,act4  7c7      
,report to ,congress ,not later than #b 
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,commerce of the ,house of              
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,health1 ,education1 ,labor and         
,pensions of the ,senate1 and shall make
 publicly available1 a report analyzing 
the implementation by ,states of the    
best practices described in subsection  
7a74