I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6142 
To end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in 
the United States and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2020 
Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. 
NORTON, Ms. SCANLON, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. 
OMAR, Mr. RYAN, Ms. MOORE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. BASS, Ms. 
BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. LURIA, Ms. 
HAALAND, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. SHALALA, Ms. 
SPANBERGER, Ms. SCHRIER, and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and 
Infrastructure, Education and Labor, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, 
Agriculture, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal 
morbidity in the United States and close disparities in 
maternal health outcomes, 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 ‘‘Black Maternal Health 
Momnibus Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—SOCIAL DETERMINANTS FOR MOMS 
Sec. 101. Task force to coordinate efforts to address social determinants of 
health for women in the prenatal and postpartum periods. 
Sec. 102. Requirements for guidance relating to social determinants of health 
for pregnant women. 
Sec. 103. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
Sec. 104. Department of Transportation. 
Sec. 105. Department of Agriculture. 
Sec. 106. Environmental study through National Academies. 
Sec. 107. Child care access. 
Sec. 108. Grants to State, local, and Tribal public health departments address-
ing social determinants of health for pregnant and postpartum 
women. 
TITLE II—HONORING KIRA JOHNSON 
Sec. 201. Investments in community-based organizations to improve Black ma-
ternal health outcomes. 
Sec. 202. Training for all employees in maternity care settings. 
Sec. 203. Study on reducing and preventing bias, racism, and discrimination in 
maternity care settings. 
Sec. 204. Respectful maternity care compliance program. 
Sec. 205. GAO report. 
TITLE III—PROTECTING MOMS WHO SERVED 
Sec. 301. Support for maternity care coordination. 
Sec. 302. Sense of Congress on veteran status requirements. 
Sec. 303. Report on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among 
women veterans. 
TITLE IV—PERINATAL WORKFORCE 
Sec. 401. HHS agency directives. 
Sec. 402. Grants to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce. 
Sec. 403. Grants to grow and diversify the nursing workforce in maternal and 
perinatal health. 
Sec. 404. GAO report on barriers to maternity care. 
TITLE V—DATA TO SAVE MOMS 
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Sec. 501. Funding for maternal mortality review committees to promote rep-
resentative community engagement. 
Sec. 502. Data collection and review. 
Sec. 503. Task force on maternal health data and quality measures. 
Sec. 504. Indian Health Service study on maternal mortality. 
Sec. 505. Grants to minority-serving institutions to study maternal mortality, 
severe maternal morbidity, and other adverse maternal health 
outcomes. 
TITLE VI—MOMS MATTER 
Sec. 601. Innovative models to reduce maternal mortality. 
TITLE VII—JUSTICE FOR INCARCERATED MOMS 
Sec. 701. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 702. Ending the shackling of pregnant individuals. 
Sec. 703. Creating model programs for the care of incarcerated individuals in 
the prenatal and postpartum periods. 
Sec. 704. Grant program to improve maternal health outcomes for individuals 
in State and local prisons and jails. 
Sec. 705. GAO report. 
Sec. 706. MACPAC report. 
TITLE VIII—TECH TO SAVE MOMS 
Sec. 801. CMI modeling of integrated telehealth models in maternity care serv-
ices. 
Sec. 802. Grants to expand the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning 
and capacity models that provide care to pregnant and 
postpartum women. 
Sec. 803. Grants to promote equity in maternal health outcomes by increasing 
access to digital tools. 
Sec. 804. Report on the use of technology to reduce maternal mortality and se-
vere maternal morbidity and to close racial and ethnic dispari-
ties in outcomes. 
TITLE IX—IMPACT TO SAVE MOMS 
Sec. 901. Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project. 
Sec. 902. MACPAC report. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CULTURALLY CONGRUENT.—The term ‘‘cul-
turally congruent’’, with respect to care or maternity 
care, means care that is in agreement with the pre-
ferred cultural values, beliefs, worldview, and prac-
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tices of the health care consumer and other stake-
holders. 
(2) MATERNAL MORTALITY.—The term ‘‘mater-
nal mortality’’ means a death occurring during or 
within a one-year period after pregnancy caused by 
pregnancy or childbirth complications. 
(3) POSTPARTUM.—The term ‘‘postpartum’’ 
means the one-year period beginning on the last day 
of a woman’s pregnancy. 
(4) SEVERE MATERNAL MORBIDITY.—The term 
‘‘severe maternal morbidity’’ means an unexpected 
outcome caused by labor and delivery of a woman 
that results in significant short-term or long-term 
consequences to the health of the woman. 
TITLE I—SOCIAL 
DETERMINANTS FOR MOMS 
SEC. 101. TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE EFFORTS TO AD-
DRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH 
FOR 
WOMEN 
IN 
THE 
PRENATAL 
AND 
POSTPARTUM PERIODS. 
(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 strategies to 
coordinate efforts across the Federal Government to ad-
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dress social determinants of health for women in the pre-
natal and postpartum periods. 
(b) MEMBERS.—The members of the Task Force 
shall consist of the following: 
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (or the Secretary’s designee). 
(2) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment (or the Secretary’s designee). 
(3) The Secretary of Transportation (or the 
Secretary’s designee). 
(4) The Secretary of Agriculture (or the Sec-
retary’s designee). 
(5) The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency (or the Administrator’s designee). 
(6) The Assistant Secretary for the Administra-
tion for Children and Families (or the Assistant Sec-
retary’s designee). 
(7) The Administrator of the Centers for Medi-
care & Medicaid Services (or the Administrator’s 
designee). 
(8) The Director of the Indian Health Service 
(or the Director’s designee). 
(9) The Director of the National Institutes of 
Health (or the Director’s designee). 
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(10) The Administrator of the Health Re-
sources and Services Administration (or the Admin-
istrator’s designee). 
(11) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minor-
ity Health of the Department of Health and Human 
Services (or the Deputy Assistant Secretary’s des-
ignee). 
(12) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Wom-
en’s Health of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (or the Deputy Assistant Sec-
retary’s designee). 
(13) The Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (or the Director’s designee). 
(14) A woman who has experienced severe ma-
ternal morbidity or a family member of a woman 
who has suffered a pregnancy-related death. 
(15) A leader of a community-based organiza-
tion that addresses maternal mortality and severe 
maternal morbidity with a specific focus on racial 
and ethnic disparities. 
(16) A maternal health care provider. 
(c) 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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(d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall— 
(1) finalize strategies to coordinate efforts 
across the Federal Government to address social de-
terminants of health for women in the prenatal and 
postpartum periods; and 
(2) submit a report on such strategies to the 
Congress, including— 
(A) plans for implementing such strategies; 
and 
(B) recommendations on the funding 
amounts needed by each department and agen-
cy to implement such strategies. 
(e) TERMINATION.—Termination under section 14 of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
not apply to the Task Force. 
SEC. 102. REQUIREMENTS FOR GUIDANCE RELATING TO 
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOR 
PREGNANT WOMEN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall issue guidance with respect to 
how medicaid managed care organizations and State Med-
icaid programs can use payments made pursuant to sec-
tion 1903 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b) 
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to address the following issues related to social deter-
minants of health for high-risk mothers during the pre-
sumptive eligibility period for pregnant women: 
(1) Housing. 
(2) Transportation. 
(3) Nutrition. 
(4) Lactation and other infant feeding options 
support. 
(5) Lead testing and abatement. 
(6) Air and water quality. 
(7) Car seat installation. 
(8) Child care access. 
(9) Wellness and stress management programs. 
(10) Other social determinants of health (as de-
termined by the Secretary). 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) MEDICAID
MANAGED
CARE
ORGANIZA-
TIONS.—The term ‘‘medicaid managed care organi-
zation’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
1903(m)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b(m)(1)(A)). 
(2) PRESUMPTIVE
ELIGIBILITY
PERIOD.—The 
term ‘‘presumptive eligibility period’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 1920(b)(1) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r–1(b)(1)). 
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SEC. 103. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVEL-
OPMENT. 
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall establish a new Housing for Moms task force within 
the Department that shall be responsible for ensuring that 
women in the prenatal and postpartum periods have safe, 
stable, affordable, and adequate housing for themselves 
and their other children. The task force shall— 
(1) study how the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development can support women in the pre-
natal and postpartum periods and make rec-
ommendations to the Secretary; 
(2) provide guidance to regional offices of the 
Department on measures to ensure that local hous-
ing infrastructure is supportive to women in the pre-
natal and postpartum periods, including providing 
information on— 
(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 and community organiza-
tions to ensure housing laws are understood 
and violations are discovered; and 
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(3) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, and annually thereafter, submit 
to the Congress a report summarizing the activities 
of the task force. 
SEC. 104. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall submit to Congress a report containing— 
(1) an assessment of transportation barriers 
preventing individuals from attending prenatal and 
postpartum appointments, accessing maternal health 
care services, or accessing services and resources re-
lated to social determinants of health that affect ma-
ternal health outcomes, such as healthy foods; 
(2) recommendations on how to overcome such 
barriers; 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) women living in a health professional short-
age area designated under section 332 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e); and 
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(2) women living in areas with high maternal 
mortality or severe morbidity rates and significant 
racial or ethnic disparities in maternal health out-
comes. 
SEC. 105. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
(a) SPECIAL
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) EXTENSION
OF
POSTPARTUM
PERIOD.— 
Section 17(b)(10) of the Child Nutrition Act of 
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) qualitative evaluations of family expe-
riences under the special supplemental nutrition 
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program under section 17 of the Child Nutri-
tion Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786); and 
(C) the cost effectiveness of such special 
supplemental nutrition program. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM
FOR HEALTHY FOOD
AND 
CLEAN
WATER
FOR
PREGNANT
AND
POSTPARTUM 
WOMEN.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a grant program to make grants on a competi-
tive basis to eligible entities to carry out the nutri-
tional activities described in paragraph (4). 
(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive 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 Secretary may provide. 
(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an eli-
gible entity that proposes in an application under 
paragraph (2) to use the grant funds to carry out 
activities in areas with— 
(A) high maternal mortality or severe ma-
ternal morbidity rates; and 
(B) significant racial or ethnic disparities 
in maternal health outcomes. 
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(4) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this subsection shall use funds 
under the grant to deliver healthy food, infant for-
mula, or clean water to pregnant and postpartum 
women located in areas that are food deserts, as de-
termined by the Secretary using data from the Food 
Access Research Atlas of the Department of Agri-
culture. 
(5) 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— 
(A) an evaluation of the effect of the grant 
program under this subsection on maternal and 
infant health outcomes, including racial and 
ethnic disparities with respect to such out-
comes; and 
(B) recommendations with respect to en-
suring the activities described in paragraph (4) 
continue after the grant period funding such ac-
tivities expires. 
(6) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this subsection for 
fiscal years 2021 through 2023. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ includes public entities, private community enti-
ties, community-based organizations, Indian tribes 
and tribal organizations (as such terms are defined 
in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), and 
urban Indian organizations (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. 106. 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, 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 a report 
on the results of the study not later than 24 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 107. 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 women with free drop- 
in child care services during prenatal and postpartum ap-
pointments. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, an organization shall— 
(1) be an organization that carries out pro-
grams providing pregnant and postpartum women 
with free and accessible drop-in child care services 
during prenatal and postpartum appointments in 
areas which the Secretary determines have a high 
maternal mortality and severe morbidity rate and 
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significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal 
health outcomes; and 
(2) not have previously received a grant under 
this section. 
(c) DURATION.—The Secretary shall commence the 
grant program under subsection (a) not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(d) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall evaluate each 
grant awarded under this section to determine the effects 
of the grant on— 
(1) prenatal and postpartum appointment at-
tendance rates; 
(2) maternal health outcomes with a specific 
focus on racial and ethnic disparities in such out-
comes; 
(3) pregnant and postpartum women partici-
pating in the funded programs, and the families of 
such women; and 
(4) cost effectiveness. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than September 30, 2023, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report con-
taining the following: 
(1) A summary of the evaluations under sub-
section (d). 
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‘‘(1) operate in— 
‘‘(A) areas with high rates of adverse ma-
ternal health outcomes; 
‘‘(B) areas with significant racial and eth-
nic disparities in maternal health outcomes; or 
‘‘(C) health professional shortage areas 
designated under section 332; 
‘‘(2) be led by minority women from demo-
graphic groups with disproportionate rates of ad-
verse maternal health outcomes; or 
‘‘(3) be implemented with a culturally con-
gruent approach that is focused on improving out-
comes for demographic groups experiencing dis-
proportionate rates of adverse maternal health out-
comes. 
‘‘(d) EVALUATION.—As a condition on receipt of a 
grant under this section, an eligible entity shall agree to 
provide annual evaluations of the activities funded through 
the grant to the Secretary and the Task Force and ad-
dress in each such evaluation— 
‘‘(1) the effects of such activities on maternal 
health outcomes with a particular focus on the ef-
fects of such activities on minority women, including 
measures such as— 
‘‘(A) avoidable emergency room visits; 
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