(x) strategies to address hospital ca-
pacity concerns in communities with a 
surge in COVID–19 cases and to provide 
childbearing people with options that re-
duce potential for cross-contamination and 
increase the ability to implement their care 
preferences while maintaining safety and 
quality, such as the use of auxiliary mater-
nity units and freestanding birth centers; 
(xi) how to identify and address rac-
ism, bias, and discrimination in the deliv-
ery treatment and support to pregnant and 
postpartum people, including evaluating 
the value of training for hospital staff on 
implicit bias and racism, respectful mater-
nity care, and demographic data collection; 
and 
(xii) such other matters as the task 
force determines appropriate; 
(B) identify barriers to the implementation 
of the guidelines and recommendations; 
(C) take into consideration existing State 
and other programs that have demonstrated ef-
fectiveness in addressing pregnancy, birth, and 
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postpartum care during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency; and 
(D) identify policies specific to COVID–19 
that should be discontinued when safely possible 
and those that should be continued as the pub-
lic health emergency abates. 
(3) MEMBERSHIP.—The task force established 
under paragraph (1) shall be comprised of— 
(A) representatives of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, including rep-
resentatives of— 
(i) the Secretary; 
(ii) the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention; 
(iii) the Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Administration; 
(iv) the Administrator of the Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 
(v) the Director of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality; and 
(vi) the Director of the Indian Health 
Service; 
(B) at least 3 State, local, or territorial 
public health officials representing departments 
of public health, who shall represent jurisdic-
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tions from different regions of the United 
States with relatively high concentrations of 
historically marginalized populations, to be ap-
pointed by the Secretary; 
(C) at least 1 Tribal public health official 
representing departments of public health; 
(D) 1 or more representatives of a commu-
nity-based organization that addresses adverse 
maternal health outcomes with a specific focus 
on racial and ethnic inequities in maternal 
health outcomes, appointed by the Secretary, 
with special consideration given to organizations 
led by a person of color or from communities 
with significant minority populations; 
(E) 1 or more obstetrician-gynecologist or 
other physician who provides obstetric care, 
with special consideration for physicians who 
are from, or work in, communities experiencing 
the highest rates of COVID–19 mortality and 
morbidity; 
(F) 1 or more nurse, such as a certified 
nurse-midwife, women’s health nurse practi-
tioner, or other nurse who provides obstetric 
care, with special consideration for nurses who 
are from, or work in, communities experiencing 
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the highest rates of COVID–19 mortality and 
morbidity; 
(G) 1 or more perinatal health workers 
who provide non-clinical support to people from 
pregnancy through postpartum period, such as 
a doula, community health worker, peer sup-
porter, lactation consultant, nutritionist or die-
titian, social worker, home visitor, or patient 
navigator; 
(H) 1 or more patients who were pregnant 
or gave birth during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency; 
(I) 1 or more patients who contracted 
COVID–19 and later gave birth; 
(J) 1 or more patients who have received 
support from a perinatal health worker who 
provides prenatal and postpartum support, such 
as a doula, community health worker, peer sup-
porter, lactation consultant, nutritionist or die-
titian, social worker, home visitor, or a patient 
navigator, or a spouse or family member of 
such patient; and 
(K) racially and ethnically diverse rep-
resentation from at least 3 independent experts 
with knowledge or field experience with racial 
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and ethnic disparities in public health, women’s 
health, or maternal mortality and severe mater-
nal morbidity. 
SEC. 8. GAO REPORT ON MATERNAL HEALTH AND PUBLIC 
HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. 
Not later than 1 year after the end of the public 
health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with 
respect to COVID–19, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report on maternal health and public health 
emergency preparedness, including prenatal, labor and de-
livery, and postpartum care during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency, including the following: 
(1) A review of the prenatal, labor and delivery, 
and postpartum experiences of people during the 
COVID–19 public health emergency, which shall— 
(A) identify barriers to accessing preg-
nancy, birth, and postpartum care during a 
pandemic; 
(B) assess the extent to which public and 
private insurers were providing coverage for 
maternal health care during the public health 
emergency, including for telehealth services; 
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(C) to the extent practicable, analyze ma-
ternal and infant health outcomes by race and 
ethnicity (including quality of care, mortality, 
morbidity, cesarean section rates, preterm birth, 
prevalence of prenatal and postpartum anxiety 
and depression) during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency and the impact of Federal 
and State policy changes made in response to 
the COVID–19 pandemic on such outcomes; 
(D) identify contributors to population- 
based disparities seen in COVID–19 outcomes, 
such as racial profiling of, and bias and dis-
crimination against Black, American Indian 
and Alaska Native, Latinx, and Asian American 
and Pacific Islander people; and 
(E) review the impact of increased unem-
ployment, paid family leave, changes in health 
care coverage, and other social determinants of 
health for pregnant and postpartum people dur-
ing the public health emergency. 
(2) Consultation with maternity care providers, 
maternal mental and behavioral health care special-
ists, researchers who specialize in women’s health or 
maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, 
people who experienced pregnancy or childbirth dur-
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ing the COVID–19 public health emergency, rep-
resentatives from community-based organizations 
that address maternal health, and perinatal health 
workers who provide nonclinical support to pregnant 
and postpartum people (such as a doula, community 
health worker, peer support, certified lactation con-
sultant, nutritionist or dietician, social worker, home 
visitor, or navigator). 
(3) Recommendations to improve the public 
health emergency response and preparedness efforts 
of the Federal Government specific to maternal 
health, with a particular focus on outcomes for mi-
nority women, including— 
(A) ways to improve research, surveillance, 
and data collection of the Federal Government 
related to maternal health; 
(B) ways for the Federal Government to 
factor maternal health outcomes and disparities 
into decisions regarding distribution of re-
sources, including COVID–19 tests, personal 
protective equipment, and emergency funding; 
(C) the extent to which guidelines and rec-
ommendations of the Federal Government re-
lated to maternal health care during the 
COVID–19 public health emergency were cul-
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turally congruent and linguistically competent 
for minority women; and 
(D) ways to improve the distribution of 
public health funds, data, and information to 
Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations with re-
gard to maternal health during the COVID–19 
public health emergency. 
Æ 
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