The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, shall under authority of this section continue in effect the Healthy Start Initiative and may carry out such program on a national basis.

For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “Healthy Start Initiative” is a reference to the program that, as an initiative to reduce the rate of infant mortality and improve perinatal outcomes, makes grants for project areas with high or increasing above the national average annual rates of infant mortality and that, prior to the effective date of this section, was a demonstration program carried out under section 241 of this title.