Kira Johnson Act

Key Points

• The bill authorizes $100 million per year from 2027 through 2031 for grants to community-based organizations that work to improve maternal health outcomes in communities with high rates of maternal mortality and health disparities. Programs include doula support, mental health care, midwifery, and help with social factors like housing and nutrition.
• Hospitals and maternity care settings would receive grants for training all staff, from front desk workers to doctors and security guards, on reducing bias, racism, and discrimination. The training emphasizes culturally appropriate, trauma-informed care and shared decision-making between providers and patients.
• A new respectful maternity care compliance program would let patients and their families formally report instances of racism or bias at hospitals. Hospitals must follow up with patients, publicly share strategies to reduce bias, and submit annual reports to the government on each case.
• The bill defines maternal mortality broadly to include deaths from suicide, overdose, or mental health and substance use disorders connected to pregnancy, covering the full year after giving birth. This expanded definition helps capture deaths that traditional measures often miss.
• The National Academies of Sciences would conduct a study on the best ways to reduce bias and discrimination in maternity care, with results due to Congress within 24 months. The GAO would also produce ongoing reports tracking how well hospitals are adopting the new compliance programs.