Pregnant Women Support Act

Bill: 111-s-270
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2009-01-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Child care and development
Child health
Civil actions and liability
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Domestic violence and child abuse
Education programs funding
Food assistance and relief
Genetics
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Hereditary and development disorders
Higher education
Home and outpatient care
Law enforcement administration and funding
Medicaid
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Nursing
Poverty and welfare assistance
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Teenage pregnancy
Violent crime
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-15
text: 
Pregnant Women Support Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to increase public awareness of resources available to pregnant women to carry their pregnancy to term and new parents.
 
 Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary to make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment for examinations of pregnant women.
 
Prohibits a health insurance issuer offering individual coverage from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion or a waiting period or otherwise discriminating against a woman on the basis that she is pregnant.
 
Provides for continuation coverage for newborns.
 
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to allow states to extend health care coverage to an unborn child. 
 
Requires health facilities that perform abortions to obtain informed consent from a pregnant woman seeking an abortion.
 
Provides for the collection and dissemination of information on Down syndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions.
 
Directs the Secretary to provide for: (1) higher education pregnant and parenting student services offices; and (2) programs to work with pregnant or parenting teens to complete high school.
 
Authorizes grants for services to pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Requires states to require a pregnancy determination for homicide victims.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide for comprehensive and supportive services for pregnant women, mothers, and children. 
 
 Authorizes appropriations to carry out the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC program).
 
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the eligibility threshold for food stamps.
 
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
 
 Authorizes grants to provide to eligible mothers education on the health needs of their infants through visits to their homes by registered nurses.
 
Authorizes grants for collecting and reporting abortion surveillance data.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S621-626)
action_date: 2009-01-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S620-621)
action_date: 2009-01-15
text: Introduced in Senate