I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6132 
To address social determinants of health for women in the prenatal and 
postpartum periods, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2020 
Mrs. MCBATH (for herself, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. LEWIS, Ms. 
SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. MOORE, Mr. 
CLAY, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. PRESSLEY, and Mr. LAWSON of Florida) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, 
Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To address social determinants of health for women in the 
prenatal and postpartum periods, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Determinants 
for Moms Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. 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-
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). 
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(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). 
(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 
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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. 
(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. 
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(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)). 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOP-
MENT. 
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-
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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 
(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. 5. 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; 
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(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 
(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. 6. 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 
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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 
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 
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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. 
(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 
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