I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 943 
To address social determinants of maternal health with respect to pregnant 
and postpartum individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2021 
Mrs. MCBATH (for herself, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. LAWSON of 
Florida, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. 
STRICKLAND, Mr. RYAN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 
HORSFORD, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. DEUTCH, 
Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. SOTO, Mr. NADLER, 
Mr. TRONE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. BASS, 
Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. EVANS, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. CASTOR of 
Florida, Ms. SEWELL, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Trans-
portation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Education and Labor, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To address social determinants of maternal health with re-
spect to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Determinants 
for Moms Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO AD-
DRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF MATER-
NAL HEALTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall convene a task force (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’) to develop a strategy 
to coordinate efforts between Federal agencies to address 
social determinants of maternal health with respect to 
pregnant and postpartum individuals. 
(b) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The ex officio members 
of the Task Force shall consist of the following: 
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (or a designee thereof). 
(2) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment (or a designee thereof). 
(3) The Secretary of Transportation (or a des-
ignee thereof). 
(4) The Secretary of Agriculture (or a designee 
thereof). 
(5) The Secretary of Labor (or a designee 
thereof). 
(6) The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency (or a designee thereof). 
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(7) The Assistant Secretary for the Administra-
tion for Children and Families (or a designee there-
of). 
(8) The Administrator of the Centers for Medi-
care & Medicaid Services (or a designee thereof). 
(9) The Director of the Indian Health Service 
(or a designee thereof). 
(10) The Director of the National Institutes of 
Health (or a designee thereof). 
(11) The Administrator of the Health Re-
sources and Services Administration (or a designee 
thereof). 
(12) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minor-
ity Health of the Department of Health and Human 
Services (or a designee thereof). 
(13) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Wom-
en’s Health of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (or a designee thereof). 
(14) The Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (or a designee thereof). 
(15) The Director of the Office on Violence 
Against Women at the Department of Justice (or a 
designee thereof). 
(c) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—In addition to the ex 
officio members of the Task Force, the Secretary of 
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Health and Human Services shall appoint the following 
members of the Task Force: 
(1) At least two representatives of patients, to 
include— 
(A) a representative of patients who have 
suffered from severe maternal morbidity; or 
(B) a representative of patients who is a 
family member of an individual who suffered a 
pregnancy-related death. 
(2) At least two leaders of community-based or-
ganizations that address maternal mortality and se-
vere maternal morbidity with a specific focus on ra-
cial and ethnic disparities. In appointing such lead-
ers under this paragraph, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall give priority to individ-
uals who are leaders of organizations led by individ-
uals from racial and ethnic minority groups. 
(3) At least two perinatal health workers. 
(4) A professionally diverse panel of maternity 
care providers. 
(d) CHAIR.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall select the chair of the Task Force from 
among the members of the Task Force. 
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(e) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit 
to Congress a report on— 
(1) the strategy developed under subsection (a); 
(2) recommendations on funding amounts with 
respect to implementing such strategy; 
(3) recommendations for how to expand cov-
erage of social services to address social deter-
minants of maternal health under Medicaid managed 
care organizations and State Medicaid programs. 
(f) TERMINATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 
the Task Force with respect to termination. 
SEC. 3. HOUSING FOR MOMS GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall establish a Housing for Moms 
grant program under this section to make grants to eligi-
ble entities to increase access to safe, stable, affordable, 
and adequate housing for pregnant and postpartum indi-
viduals and their families. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may 
provide. 
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(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity 
that— 
(1) is a community-based organization or will 
partner with a community-based organization to im-
plement initiatives to increase access to safe, stable, 
affordable, and adequate housing for pregnant and 
postpartum individuals and their families; 
(2) is operating in an area with high rates of 
adverse maternal health outcomes or significant ra-
cial or ethnic disparities in maternal health out-
comes, to the extent such data are available; and 
(3) is operating in an area with a high poverty 
rate or significant number of individuals who lack 
consistent access to safe, stable, affordable, and ade-
quate housing. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use funds under the grant 
for the purposes of— 
(1) identifying and conducting outreach to 
pregnant and postpartum individuals who are low-in-
come and lack consistent access to safe, stable, af-
fordable, and adequate housing; 
(2) providing safe, stable, affordable, and ade-
quate housing options to such individuals; 
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(3) connecting such individuals with local orga-
nizations offering safe, stable, affordable, and ade-
quate housing options; 
(4) providing application assistance to such in-
dividuals seeking to enroll in programs offering safe, 
stable, affordable, and adequate housing options; 
(5) providing direct financial assistance to such 
individuals for the purposes of maintaining safe, sta-
ble, and adequate housing for the duration of the in-
dividual’s pregnancy and postpartum periods; and 
(6) working with relevant stakeholders to en-
sure that local housing and homeless shelter infra-
structure is supportive to pregnant and postpartum 
individuals, including through— 
(A) health-promoting housing codes; 
(B) enforcement of housing codes; 
(C) proactive rental inspection programs; 
(D) code enforcement officer training; and 
(E) partnerships between regional offices 
of the Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment and community-based organizations 
to ensure housing laws are understood and vio-
lations are discovered. 
(e) REPORTING.— 
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(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary shall 
require each eligible entity receiving a grant under 
this section to annually submit to the Secretary and 
make publicly available a report on the status of ac-
tivities conducted using the grant. 
(2) SECRETARY.—Not later than the end of 
each fiscal year in which grants are made under this 
section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 
and make publicly available a report that— 
(A) summarizes the reports received under 
paragraph (1); 
(B) evaluates the effectiveness of grants 
awarded under this section in increasing access 
to safe, stable, affordable, and adequate hous-
ing for pregnant and postpartum individuals 
and their families; and 
(C) makes recommendations with respect 
to ensuring activities described subsection (d) 
continue after grant amounts made available 
under this section are expended. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a community-based organization; 
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(B) a State or local governmental entity, 
including a State or local public health depart-
ment; 
(C) an Indian tribe or tribal organization 
(as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); or 
(D) an Urban Indian organization (as such 
term is defined in section 4 of the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 
1603)). 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, which shall remain 
available until expended. 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a 
report containing— 
(1) an assessment of transportation barriers 
preventing individuals from attending prenatal and 
postpartum appointments, accessing maternal health 
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care services, or accessing services and resources re-
lated to social determinants maternal of health; 
(2) recommendations on how to overcome the 
barriers assessed under paragraph (1); and 
(3) an assessment of transportation safety risks 
for pregnant individuals and recommendations on 
how to mitigate such risks. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to solu-
tions for— 
(1) pregnant and postpartum individuals living 
in a health professional shortage area designated 
under section 332 of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254e); 
(2) pregnant and postpartum individuals living 
in areas with high maternal mortality or severe mor-
bidity rates or significant racial or ethnic disparities 
in maternal health outcomes; or 
(3) pregnant and postpartum individuals with a 
disability that impacts mobility. 
SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
(a) SPECIAL
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) EXTENSION
OF
POSTPARTUM
PERIOD.— 
Section 17(b)(10) of the Child Nutrition Act of 
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1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(10)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘six months’’ and inserting ‘‘24 months’’. 
(2) EXTENSION OF BREASTFEEDING PERIOD.— 
Section 17(d)(3)(A)(ii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (7 U.S.C. 1431(d)(3)(A)(ii)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘24 months’’. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes an 
evaluation of the effect of each of the amendments 
made by this subsection on— 
(A) maternal and infant health outcomes, 
including racial and ethnic disparities with re-
spect to such outcomes; 
(B) breastfeeding rates among postpartum 
individuals; 
(C) qualitative evaluations of family experi-
ences under the special supplemental nutrition 
program under section 17 of the Child Nutri-
tion Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786); and 
(D) other relevant information as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM
FOR HEALTHY FOOD
AND 
CLEAN WATER FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM INDI-
VIDUALS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, 
to eligible entities to carry out the activities de-
scribed in paragraph (4). 
(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 
under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit 
to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an eli-
gible entity that— 
(A) is, or will partner with, a community- 
based organization; and 
(B) is operating in an area with high rates 
of— 
(i) adverse maternal health outcomes; 
or 
(ii) significant racial or ethnic dispari-
ties in maternal health outcomes. 
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall 
use grant funds awarded under this subsection to 
deliver healthy food, infant formula, clean water, or 
diapers to pregnant and postpartum individuals lo-
cated in areas that are food deserts, as determined 
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by the Secretary using data from the Food Access 
Research Atlas of the Department of Agriculture. 
(5) REPORTS.— 
(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—Not later than 1 
year after an eligible entity first receives a 
grant under this subsection, and annually there-
after, an eligible entity shall submit to the Sec-
retary a report on the status of activities con-
ducted using the grant, which shall contain 
such information as the Secretary may require. 
(B) SECRETARY.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 
years after the date on which the first 
grant is awarded under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port that includes— 
(I) a summary of the reports 
submitted under subparagraph (A); 
(II) an assessment of the extent 
to which food distributed through the 
grant program was purchased from 
local and regional food systems; 
(III) an evaluation of the effect 
of the grant program under this sub-
section on maternal and infant health 
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outcomes, including racial and ethnic 
disparities with respect to such out-
comes; and 
(IV) recommendations with re-
spect to ensuring the activities de-
scribed in paragraph (4) continue 
after the grant period funding such 
activities expires. 
(ii) 
PUBLICATION.—The 
Secretary 
shall make the report submitted under 
clause (i) publicly available on the website 
of the Department of Agriculture. 
(6) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 
to carry out this subsection for fiscal years 2022 
through 2024. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a community-based organization; 
(B) a State or local governmental entity, 
including a State or local public health depart-
ment; 
(C) an Indian tribe or tribal organization 
(as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
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Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); or 
(D) an Urban Indian organization (as such 
term is defined in section 4 of the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 
1603)). 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY THROUGH NATIONAL 
ACADEMIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall seek to enter an agree-
ment, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, with the National Academies of Sciences, En-
gineering, and Medicine (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘National Academies’’) under which the National Acad-
emies agree to conduct a study on the impacts of water 
and air quality, exposure to extreme temperatures, envi-
ronmental chemicals, environmental risks in the workplace 
and the home, and pollution levels, on maternal and infant 
health outcomes. 
(b) STUDY REQUIREMENTS.—The agreement under 
subsection (a) shall direct the National Academies to make 
recommendations for— 
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(1) improving environmental conditions to im-
prove maternal and infant health outcomes; and 
(2) reducing or eliminating racial and ethnic 
disparities in such outcomes. 
(c) REPORT.—The agreement under subsection (a) 
shall direct the National Academies to complete the study 
under this section, and transmit to the Congress and make 
publicly available a report on the results of the study, not 
later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 7. CHILD CARE ACCESS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall award grants to eligible organizations to 
provide pregnant and postpartum individuals with free 
and accessible drop-in child care services during prenatal 
and postpartum appointments. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(1) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an organization shall be an 
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