II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 324 

To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum 

depression and psychosis. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 26, 2009 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. LAUTENBERG, 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. BROWN) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, 

postpartum depression and psychosis. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Melanie Blocker Stokes 

5 Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Re6 search, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act’’ or 

7 the ‘‘Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act’’. 

8 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

9 For purposes of this Act— 


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1 (1) the term ‘‘postpartum condition’’ means 

2 postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis; and 

3 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

4 of Health and Human Services. 

5 TITLE I—RESEARCH ON 

6 POSTPARTUM CONDITIONS 

7 SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVI8 TIES. 

9 (a) CONTINUATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary 

10 is encouraged to continue activities on postpartum condi11 tions. 

12 (b) PROGRAMS FOR POSTPARTUM CONDITIONS.—In 

13 carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary is encouraged 

14 to continue research to expand the understanding of the 

15 causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions. Ac16 tivities under such subsection shall include conducting and 

17 supporting the following: 

18 (1) Basic research concerning the etiology and 

19 causes of the conditions. 

20 (2) Epidemiological studies to address the fre21 quency and natural history of the conditions and the 

22 differences among racial and ethnic groups with re23 spect to the conditions. 

24 (3) The development of improved screening and 

25 diagnostic techniques. 


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1 (4) Clinical research for the development and 

2 evaluation of new treatments. 

3 (5) Information and education programs for 

4 health care professionals and the public, which may 

5 include a coordinated national campaign to increase 

6 the awareness and knowledge of postpartum condi7 tions. Activities under such a national campaign 

8 may— 

9 (A) include public service announcements 

10 through television, radio, and other means; and 

11 (B) focus on— 

12 (i) raising awareness about screening; 

13 (ii) educating new mothers and their 

14 families about postpartum conditions to 

15 promote earlier diagnosis and treatment; 

16 and 

17 (iii) ensuring that such education in18 cludes complete information concerning 

19 postpartum conditions, including its symp20 toms, methods of coping with the illness, 

21 and treatment resources. 


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1 SEC. 102. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LONGITU2 DINAL STUDY OF RELATIVE MENTAL HEALTH 

3 CONSEQUENCES FOR WOMEN OF RESOLVING 

4 A PREGNANCY. 

5 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con6 gress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental 

7 Health may conduct a nationally representative longitu8 dinal study (during the period of fiscal years 2009 through 

9 2018) of the relative mental health consequences for 

10 women of resolving a pregnancy (intended and unin11 tended) in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy 

12 to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy 

13 to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, 

14 and having an abortion. This study may assess the inci15 dence, timing, magnitude, and duration of the immediate 

16 and long-term mental health consequences (positive or 

17 negative) of these pregnancy outcomes. 

18 (b) REPORT.—Subject to the completion of the study 

19 under subsection (a), beginning not later than 5 years 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and periodi21 cally thereafter for the duration of the study, such Direc22 tor may prepare and submit to the Congress reports on 

23 the findings of the study. 


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1 TITLE II—DELIVERY OF SERV2 ICES REGARDING 

3 POSTPARTUM CONDITIONS 

4 SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM. 

5 Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health 

6 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by insert7 ing after section 330G the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 330G–1. SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A 

9 POSTPARTUM CONDITION AND THEIR FAMI10 LIES. 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants 

12 to eligible entities for projects for the establishment, oper13 ation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient sys14 tems for the delivery of essential services to individuals 

15 with a postpartum condition and their families. 

16 ‘‘(b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—To the extent prac17 ticable and appropriate, the Secretary shall ensure that 

18 projects funded under subsection (a) provide education 

19 and services with respect to the diagnosis and manage20 ment of postpartum conditions. The Secretary may allow 

21 such projects to include the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) Delivering or enhancing outpatient and 

23 home-based health and support services, including 

24 case management and comprehensive treatment 

25 services for individuals with or at risk for 


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1 postpartum conditions, and delivering or enhancing 

2 support services for their families. 

3 ‘‘(2) Delivering or enhancing inpatient care 

4 management services that ensure the well-being of 

5 the mother and family and the future development 

6 of the infant. 

7 ‘‘(3) Improving the quality, availability, and or8 ganization of health care and support services (in9 cluding transportation services, attendant care, 

10 homemaker services, day or respite care, and pro11 viding counseling on financial assistance and insur12 ance) for individuals with a postpartum condition 

13 and support services for their families. 

14 ‘‘(4) Providing education to new mothers and, 

15 as appropriate, their families about postpartum con16 ditions to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment. 

17 Such education may include— 

18 ‘‘(A) providing complete information on 

19 postpartum conditions, symptoms, methods of 

20 coping with the illness, and treatment re21 sources; and 

22 ‘‘(B) in the case of a grantee that is a 

23 State, hospital, or birthing facility— 

24 ‘‘(i) providing education to new moth25 ers and fathers, and other family members 


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1 as appropriate, concerning postpartum 

2 conditions before new mothers leave the 

3 health facility; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) ensuring that training programs 

5 regarding such education are carried out 

6 at the health facility. 

7 ‘‘(c) INTEGRATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.—To 

8 the extent practicable and appropriate, the Secretary may 

9 integrate the grant program under this section with other 

10 grant programs carried out by the Secretary, including the 

11 program under section 330. 

12 ‘‘(d) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—A grant may be 

13 made under this section only if the applicant involved 

14 makes the following agreements: 

15 ‘‘(1) Not more than 5 percent of the grant will 

16 be used for administration, accounting, reporting, 

17 and program oversight functions. 

18 ‘‘(2) The grant will be used to supplement and 

19 not supplant funds from other sources related to the 

20 treatment of postpartum conditions. 

21 ‘‘(3) The applicant will abide by any limitations 

22 deemed appropriate by the Secretary on any charges 

23 to individuals receiving services pursuant to the 

24 grant. As deemed appropriate by the Secretary, such 

25 limitations on charges may vary based on the finanVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:44 Jan 27, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S324.IS S324

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1 cial circumstances of the individual receiving serv2 ices. 

3 ‘‘(4) The grant will not be expended to make 

4 payment for services authorized under subsection (a) 

5 to the extent that payment has been made, or can 

6 reasonably be expected to be made, with respect to 

7 such services— 

8 ‘‘(A) under any State compensation pro9 gram, under an insurance policy, or under any 

10 Federal or State health benefits program; or 

11 ‘‘(B) by an entity that provides health 

12 services on a prepaid basis. 

13 ‘‘(5) The applicant will, at each site at which 

14 the applicant provides services funded under sub15 section (a), post a conspicuous notice informing indi16 viduals who receive the services of any Federal poli17 cies that apply to the applicant with respect to the 

18 imposition of charges on such individuals. 

19 ‘‘(6) For each grant period, the applicant will 

20 submit to the Secretary a report that describes how 

21 grant funds were used during such period. 

22 ‘‘(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may 

23 provide technical assistance to entities seeking a grant 

24 under this section in order to assist such entities in com25 plying with the requirements of this section. 


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1 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘eligible entity’— 

3 ‘‘(A) means a public or nonprofit private 

4 entity; and 

5 ‘‘(B) includes a State or local government, 

6 public-private partnership, recipient of a grant 

7 under section 330H (relating to the Healthy 

8 Start Initiative), public or nonprofit private 

9 hospital, community-based organization, hos10 pice, ambulatory care facility, community health 

11 center, migrant health center, public housing 

12 primary care center, or homeless health center. 

13 ‘‘(2) The term ‘postpartum condition’ means 

14 postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis.’’. 

15 TITLE III—GENERAL 

16 PROVISIONS 

17 SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 To carry out this Act and the amendment made by 

19 section 201, there are authorized to be appropriated, in 

20 addition to such other sums as may be available for such 

21 purpose— 

22 (1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and 

23 (2) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal 

24 years 2010 and 2011. 


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1 SEC. 302. REPORT BY THE SECRETARY. 

2 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a study on 

3 the benefits of screening for postpartum conditions. 

4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete 

6 the study required by subsection (a) and submit a report 

7 to the Congress on the results of such study. 

8 SEC. 303. LIMITATION. 

9 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or 

10 the amendment made by section 201, the Secretary may 

11 not utilize amounts made available under this Act or such 

12 amendment to carry out activities or programs that are 

13 duplicative of activities or programs that are already being 

14 carried out through the Department of Health and 

15 Human Services. 

Æ 


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