Military Moms Matter Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3047 | Sponsor: Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy (D-PA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Moms Matter Act of 2021
This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) policies regarding parental leave and postpartum care for service members.
The bill authorizes primary caregivers to take 12 weeks of parental leave, and up to 6 weeks of medical convalescent leave (which may not be considered in calculating the 12 weeks of parental leave), in connection with the birth of a child. Additionally, primary caregivers are authorized to take up to 12 weeks of parental leave in connection with the adoption of a child.
Under the bill, secondary caregivers are authorized to take up to 12 weeks of parental leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child. The bill also removes the requirement that secondary caregivers must take such leave in one increment.
Among other requirements, DOD must also

To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve postpartum care for 
  members of the Armed Forces and dependents of such members, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Moms Matter Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF POSTPARTUM CARE FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES AND DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Leave for Primary and Secondary Caregivers.--
            (1) In general.--Section 701 of title 10, United State 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (i)--
                            (i) by striking ``total'' each place it 
                        appears and inserting ``parental'';
                            (ii) in paragraph (1)--
                                    (I) in subparagraph (A), by 
                                striking ``, including up to six weeks 
                                of medical convalescent leave'' and 
                                inserting `` and up to six weeks of 
                                medical convalescent leave (which may 
                                not be considered in calculating the 
                                twelve weeks of parental leave)''; and
                                    (II) in subparagraph (B), by 
                                striking ``six weeks'' and inserting 
                                ``twelve weeks''; and
                            (iii) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``(and 
                        such additional medical convalescent leave may 
                        not be considered in calculating the twelve 
                        weeks of parental leave authorized under such 
                        paragraph)'' after ``child''; and
                    (B) in subsection (j)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``21 days 
                        of leave'' and inserting ``twelve weeks of 
                        parental leave'';
                            (ii) by striking paragraph (3); and
                            (iii) in paragraph (4), by striking 
                        ``paragraphs (6)'' and all that follows through 
                        ``shall apply'' and inserting ``paragraphs (4) 
                        through (10) of subsection (i) shall apply''.
            (2) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section 
        shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
        shall apply with respect to births and adoptions that occur on 
        or after the date that is six months after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (b) Postpartum Care for Certain Members and Dependents.--
            (1) Postpartum care.--Section 1074d of title 10, United 
        States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection 
                (c); and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (a) the following 
                new subsection (b):
    ``(b) Postpartum Care for Certain Members and Dependents.--(1) At 
intervals to be prescribed by the Secretary that follow the date on 
which a covered individual gives birth, but not less frequently than 
four times during the one-year period beginning on such date, and upon 
consent of the covered individual, the Secretary shall furnish 
postpartum mental health assessments to the covered individual. Such 
assessments shall include screening questions related to postpartum 
anxiety and postpartum depression and may be provided in connection 
with the follow-up appointments described in paragraph (3).
    ``(2)(A) The Secretary shall ensure that, upon a covered individual 
giving birth or soon thereafter, the covered individual is offered a 
referral for a pelvic floor examination as part of the medical care to 
which the covered individual is entitled under this chapter.
    ``(B) Pelvic floor examinations provided pursuant to subparagraph 
(A) shall be conducted in-person wherever possible, but if the 
Secretary determines a covered individual for whom a referral is 
offered under such subparagraph is located in a geographic area with an 
inadequate number of physical therapists trained in providing such 
examinations, the examination may be provided through a telehealth 
appointment.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that there is provided within each 
military medical treatment facility an option for any covered 
individual who has given birth at the facility, and who is eligible to 
receive care at the facility, to schedule a follow-up appointment for 
postpartum care of the covered individual that is concurrent with the 
date of the follow-up appointment for postnatal care of the covered 
individual's newborn infant.
    ``(4) In this subsection, the term `covered individual' means a 
member of the armed forces (including the reserve components) 
performing active service, or a dependent of such member, who is 
entitled to medical care under this chapter.''.
            (2) Applicability.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
        shall apply with respect to births that occur on or after the 
        date that is six months after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (c) Physical Fitness Tests.--Not later than after 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall--
            (1) develop a standardized policy under which any member of 
        the Armed Forces who gives birth while on active duty may not 
        be required to take a physical fitness test until the date that 
        is one year after the date on which the member gave birth; and
            (2) ensure such policy is implemented uniformly across each 
        of the Armed Forces.
    (d) Pilot Program to Streamline Postpartum Appointments.--
            (1) Pilot program.--The Secretary shall carry out a one-
        year pilot program to further streamline the process of 
        scheduling postpartum appointments at military medical 
        treatment facilities by reducing the number of distinct visits 
        required for such appointments.
            (2) Streamlining of appointments.--In carrying out the 
        pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 
        that there is provided within each military medical treatment 
        facility selected under paragraph (3) an option for covered 
        individuals who have recently given birth at the facility, and 
        who are eligible to receive care at the facility, to receive a 
        physical therapy evaluation in connection with each appointment 
        provided by the facility for postpartum care of the covered 
        individual or for care of the covered individual's newborn 
        infant, including such appointments provided concurrently 
        pursuant to section 1074d(b) of title 10, United 25 States Code 
        (as added by subsection (b)).
            (3) Selection.--The Secretary shall select not fewer than 
        ten military medical treatment facilities at which to carry out 
        the pilot program under paragraph (1). In making such 
        selection, the Secretary shall ensure geographic diversity with 
        respect to the location of the facilities, including by 
        considering for selection facilities located outside of the 
        United States.
            (4) Report.--Not later than one year after the commencement 
        of the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate a report on the effectiveness of 
        the pilot program. Such report shall include--
                    (A) a recommendation by the Secretary on whether to 
                expand or extend the pilot program; and
                    (B) a summary of the findings that led to such 
                recommendation.
            (5) Covered individual defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term ``covered individual'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 1074d(b) of title 10, United States Code (as added by 
        subsection (b)).
    (e) Pelvic Health at Military Medical Treatment Facilities.--The 
Secretary shall take such steps as are necessary to increase the 
capacity of military medical treatment facilities to provide pelvic 
health rehabilitation services, including by increasing the number of 
physical therapists employed at such facilities who are trained in 
pelvic health rehabilitation.
    (f) Review of Pelvic Health Rehabilitation Programs.--
            (1) Review required.--The Secretary shall conduct a review 
        of any current pelvic health rehabilitation programs of the 
        Department of Defense, including an evaluation of the outcomes 
        of any such programs.
            (2) Report.--Not later than nine months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
        and the Senate a report containing the findings of the review 
        required under paragraph (1).
    (g) Guidance on Obstetric Hemorrhage Treatment.--Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
issue guidance on the development and implementation of standard 
protocols across the military health system for the treatment of 
obstetric hemorrhages, including through the use of pathogen reduced 
resuscitative blood products.
                                 <all>