Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act

Bill: 118-s-1606
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2023-05-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Air quality
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Child health
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Community life and organization
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Detention of persons
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education programs funding
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental health
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Higher education
Immunology and vaccination
Indian social and development programs
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Intergovernmental relations
Internet, web applications, social media
Lighting, heating, cooling
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Minority education
Minority employment
Minority health
Nursing
Nutrition and diet
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Racial and ethnic relations
Research administration and funding
Sex and reproductive health
State and local government operations
Veterans' medical care
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2023-05-15
text: 

Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act

 
This bill directs multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health with a particular focus on racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations.
 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must address the social determinants of maternal health (i.e., child care, housing, and other nonmedical factors that affect health outcomes). HHS and other departments must also carry out other actions to increase access to maternal health care and otherwise improve maternal health, such as
 
 
growing and diversifying the maternal health workforce;
 
establishing various grants and other programs, including ones related to maternal health disparities and maternal behavioral health;
 
testing alternative payment models for perinatal care in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
 
addressing maternal health during public health emergencies; and
 
supporting training, technology, and telehealth initiatives.
 
 
The bill further provides for
 
 
extended postpartum and breastfeeding eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children;
 
increased research and data collection on maternal health indicators;
 
activities to mitigate adverse maternal health outcomes associated with climate change; and
 
expanded public education to improve maternal vaccination rates.
 
 
The bill also addresses maternal health for incarcerated populations. For example, it (1) requires the Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice to establish programs to improve maternity care; and (2) reduces grants for criminal justice activities unless the recipient state or territory has a law to limit the use of restraints during pregnancy for incarcerated populations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2023-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2023-05-15
text: Introduced in Senate