FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
July 24, 2025

Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Hospital Transparency for New and Expecting Parents

Washington, DC — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and Rick Scott (R-Florida) today introduced the Neonatal Care Transparency Act, legislation that would require hospitals to publicly disclose at what life-saving care will be provided to an infant.

“When faced with an early birth parents should be able to ensure that the delivery hospital is equipped and prepared to provide care for their child. This bill will provide parents with the information needed to welcome their child into the world safely,” said Senator Cotton.

“Children are God’s greatest gift to the world, and expecting parents deserve peace of mind knowing their delivery hospital is fully prepared to care for their newborn. I am proud to join my colleagues in ensuring hospitals are transparent on how life-saving care will be provided to premature infants,” said Senator Lummis.

“Families shouldn’t face uncertainty during early labor about whether their premature baby will receive life-saving care from a hospital or not. When a baby’s survival is on the line, parents deserve clear information. I’m proud to support this legislation that requires hospitals to be transparent about their policies. It’s a commonsense measure that protects vulnerable infants and supports families in critical moments,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.

“Becoming a parent is one of the great things in this life, and parents deserve complete transparency throughout the process. This bill will ensure hospitals are upfront about the care they can provide so they’re giving families all the information they need to make the most informed decisions to protect their child,” said Senator Scott.

Bill text is here.

The Neonatal Care Transparency Act would:

  • Require hospitals to publicly disclose:
    • The minimum gestational age at which life-saving care will be provided to an infant in the case of a premature birth; and
    • The process by which the hospital would transfer the infant and mother to the nearest neonatal ICU if the hospital does not have the capacity to provide life-saving care to a preemie.
  • Require health care practitioners to disclose the policies above during an initial consultation.

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