Hospitals could be required to share premature infant care policies under new bill from Rep. Mackenzie

A bill authored by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie has been brought before the U.S. House with the goal of mandating that hospitals make their protocols regarding life-saving treatment for premature babies and related practices publicly available, as per the U.S. Congress.

Introduced as H.R.7912 on March 12, 2026, in the regular session of the 119th Congress, the following summary draws from the actual bill text and is intended to help clarify such provisions.

The core requirement of the bill is that both hospitals and health care providers disclose their policies for delivering life-saving care to premature infants, noting specifically the earliest gestational age at which they will undertake such care. Facilities are required to make these details accessible to the public, describe steps for transferring newborns to hospitals equipped to provide care if necessary, and ensure obstetricians inform patients about these policies at their first prenatal appointment. Facilities and providers not meeting the disclosure obligations could face a loss of eligibility for federal Medicaid and CHIP support, with enforcement beginning 180 days after enactment.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (Republican-PA-7th District) introduced the bill individually.

So far during this session, Rep. Mackenzie has put forward 11 additional pieces of legislation.

An associated Senate measure, S.2433, was introduced on July 24, 2025, and is listed in Congressional records as related to H.R.7912.

Either chamber of Congress—the U.S. House or the Senate—can initiate most bills, except those concerning revenue, which must start in the House. Once introduced, bills are assigned to relevant committees for evaluation, testimony, possible changes, and debate before advancing to the floor for votes in both chambers. If both the House and Senate approve matching versions, legislation is sent to the president for signature or possible veto. Congress convenes in sessions spanning two years, each with a unique numerical designation, and maintains all legislative files through Congress.gov.

Ryan Mackenzie, born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 2, 1982, holds a B.S. from New York University (2004) and an M.B.A. from Harvard University (2010). He served in the Pennsylvania House between 2012 and 2024.

He was on staff for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey in 2004, worked at the United States Department of Labor in 2007, later served as policy director for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and was a delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Mackenzie began representing Pennsylvania in the 119th Congress starting Jan. 3, 2025.

Details for this report were sourced from the U.S. Congress. The original data is available here.