Momnibus Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a sweeping plan to reduce preventable maternal deaths and health disparities. It sets up an interagency task force, funds community organizations, and invests in better data collection to understand why mothers are dying, with a strong focus on racial and ethnic disparities.
• New moms would be able to receive WIC nutrition assistance for up to 24 months after giving birth, a major expansion from the current 6-month postpartum eligibility and 1-year breastfeeding eligibility. This means longer access to healthy food and formula support.
• The bill invests heavily in growing the maternal health workforce through grants for training midwives, doulas, nurses, and mental health providers. It prioritizes recruiting workers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to serve communities with the worst health outcomes.
• Pregnant people in prison would be protected from being shackled, and new model programs would be created in at least 6 federal facilities to improve care. States that don't ban shackling would lose 25% of their Byrne Justice Grant funding.
• A new grant program would protect pregnant women and babies from climate change risks like extreme heat, air pollution, and extreme weather. It authorizes $100 million and could provide air conditioning, weatherization, and emergency assistance to vulnerable families.
• The bill creates a maternal mental health equity grant program and funds workforce training for behavioral health providers who specialize in conditions like postpartum depression and substance use disorders, authorizing $25 million per year for the mental health grants alone.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.