I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6129 
To provide improved care and protection to incarcerated mothers, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2020 
Ms. PRESSLEY (for herself, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. SEWELL of 
Alabama, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. MOORE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. 
KHANNA, and Mr. LAWSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide improved care and protection to incarcerated 
mothers, 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 ‘‘Justice for Incarcer-
ated Moms Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the respect and prop-
er care that mothers deserve is inclusive, and whether the 
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mothers are transgender, cisgender, or gender noncon-
forming, all deserve dignity. 
SEC. 3. ENDING THE SHACKLING OF PREGNANT INDIVID-
UALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date that is 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annu-
ally thereafter, in each State that received a grant under 
subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Con-
trol and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10151 et 
seq.) (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Edward Byrne Memo-
rial Justice Grant Program’’) and that does not have in 
effect throughout the State for such fiscal year laws re-
stricting the use of restraints on pregnant individuals in 
prison that are substantially similar to the rights, proce-
dures, requirements, effects, and penalties set forth in sec-
tion 4322 of title 18, United States Code, the amount of 
such grant that would otherwise be allocated to such State 
under such subpart for the fiscal year shall be decreased 
by 25 percent. 
(b) REALLOCATION.—Amounts not allocated to a 
State for failure to comply with subsection (a) shall be 
reallocated in accordance with subpart 1 of part E of title 
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (34 U.S.C. 10151 et seq.) to States that have com-
plied with such subsection. 
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SEC. 4. CREATING MODEL PROGRAMS FOR THE CARE OF 
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN THE PRE-
NATAL AND POSTPARTUM PERIODS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, act-
ing through the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, shall 
establish, in not more than 6 Bureau of Prisons facilities, 
programs to optimize maternal health outcomes for preg-
nant and postpartum individuals incarcerated in such fa-
cilities. The Attorney General shall establish such pro-
grams in consultation with stakeholders such as— 
(1) relevant community-based organizations, 
particularly organizations that represent incarcer-
ated and formerly incarcerated individuals and orga-
nizations that seek to improve maternal health out-
comes for minority women; 
(2) relevant organizations representing patients, 
with a particular focus on minority patients; 
(3) relevant organizations representing mater-
nal health care providers; 
(4) nonclinical perinatal health workers such as 
doulas, community health workers, peer supporters, 
certified lactation consultants, nutritionists and di-
etitians, social workers, home visitors, and naviga-
tors; and 
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(5) researchers and policy experts in fields re-
lated to women’s health care for incarcerated indi-
viduals. 
(b) START DATE.—Each selected facility shall begin 
facility programs not later than 18 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(c) FACILITY PRIORITY.—In carrying out subsection 
(a), the Director shall give priority to a facility based on— 
(1) the number of pregnant and postpartum in-
dividuals incarcerated in such facility and, among 
such individuals, the number of pregnant and 
postpartum minority individuals; and 
(2) the extent to which the leaders of such facil-
ity have demonstrated a commitment to developing 
exemplary programs for pregnant and postpartum 
individuals incarcerated in such facility. 
(d) PROGRAM DURATION.—The programs established 
under this section shall be for a 5-year period. 
(e) PROGRAMS.—Bureau of Prisons facilities selected 
by the Director shall establish programs for pregnant and 
postpartum incarcerated individuals, and such programs 
may— 
(1) provide access to doulas and other perinatal 
health 
workers 
from 
pregnancy 
through 
the 
postpartum period; 
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(2) provide access to healthy foods and coun-
seling on nutrition, recommended activity levels, and 
safety measures throughout pregnancy; 
(3) train correctional officers and medical per-
sonnel to ensure that pregnant incarcerated individ-
uals receive trauma-informed, culturally congruent 
care that promotes the health and safety of the 
pregnant individuals; 
(4) provide counseling and treatment for indi-
viduals who have suffered from— 
(A) diagnosed mental or behavioral health 
conditions, including trauma and substance use 
disorders; 
(B) domestic violence; 
(C) human immunodeficiency virus; 
(D) sexual abuse; 
(E) pregnancy or infant loss; or 
(F) chronic conditions, including heart dis-
ease, diabetes, osteoporosis and osteopenia, hy-
pertension, asthma, liver disease, and bleeding 
disorders; 
(5) provide pregnancy and childbirth education, 
parenting support, and other relevant forms of 
health literacy; 
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