Neonatal Care Transparency Act of 2026

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require hospitals and medical providers to publicly disclose their policies on what they will do when a baby is born prematurely. Specifically, providers would have to clearly state the earliest point in a pregnancy — measured in weeks, known as "gestational age" — at which they will attempt to provide life-saving medical care to a premature newborn. The goal is to make this information available to patients and the public before they need emergency care.

The bill affects anyone who might give birth prematurely, as well as the hospitals and medical facilities that deliver babies. Under this requirement, providers would no longer be able to keep these policies internal or unclear — they would need to make them transparent and accessible. This could help expectant parents, particularly those at risk of premature delivery, know in advance what level of care they can expect at a given facility.

The legislation has been referred to two House committees — the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means — which have jurisdiction over healthcare regulations and related funding programs like Medicare and Medicaid. This means the bill could affect providers who participate in those federal programs. As of now, the bill is in early stages and has not yet been voted on. It does not directly mandate what care must be provided, only that existing policies on the matter be made available to the public.