Murkowski cosponsors bill to write newborn and postpartum supply kit program into law

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has cosponsored a bill that would write into law a federal pilot program that sends free diaper, thermometer and postpartum supply kits to expectant mothers in areas of highest need.

Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, introduced the Newborn Essentials Supply Toolkit Act on Tuesday, Sept. 29. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, sits.

The Department of Health and Human Services pilot works through local community organizations and federally qualified health centers. Kits hold diapers, wipes, blankets and thermometers for the baby. They also include postpartum pads, cold packs and breastfeeding supplies for the mother, plus hotline numbers and information on other support programs.

Congress already funds the pilot. The 2026 federal health spending act includes $5 million for Newborn Essentials Support Toolkits. Earlier NEST Act text authorized up to $5 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The senators' release says postpartum deaths account for 63% of maternal deaths in the perinatal period, with mental health conditions and substance use disorder the leading cause.

In Alaska, the infant mortality rate rose from 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019 to 7.3 in 2023, above the national rate of 5.6, according to the state's Maternal and Child Health Five-Year Plan 2026-2030. A state epidemiology bulletin found Alaska above the national average from 2015 through 2023, with sudden unexpected infant death the leading cause, accounting for 30% of infant deaths from 2015 to 2024.

"The time immediately after childbirth is an especially vulnerable time for mothers and their newborns," Murkowski said. Kim called the program "a helping hand to new moms in the precious and daunting first chapter of their kids' lives."

"I know how transformative it can be when families receive the right support at the right time," said Kay Matthews, founder of the endorsing Shades of Blue Project. Allison Dembeck, head of policy at Save the Children U.S., also an endorser, said the bill would help parents in rural America get the "critical care, supplies, and supports" their babies need.

Neither the bill record nor the senators' release names the communities the pilot serves or says whether any are in Alaska.