Prior Moms' Agendas
THE MOMS’ AGENDA 2022
Mom Congress supports many pieces of legislation throughout the year.
The following bills are referred to as the “Moms’ Agenda” and have been selected for the Mom Congress Convention Advocacy Day being held on September 20th, 2022.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by a pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
SHINE for Autumn Act
This bill authorizes grants and establishes other programs to improve data collection on stillbirths. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths, and HHS must issue guidelines for health departments and vital statistics units concerning the collection of stillbirth data. HHS must also develop educational awareness materials about stillbirths and make them publicly available.
Furthermore, HHS must implement a fellowship program to provide training in perinatal autopsy pathology and otherwise support research on stillbirths and fetal autopsies. The bill also requires HHS to issue a report with educational guidelines on stillbirths and stillbirth risk factors.
Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Wellbeing
This comprehensive mental health bill, incorporated the provisions of two maternal mental health bills, including the TRIUMPH for New Mom’s Act (“TRIUMPH”) and Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health.
TRIUMPH calls for the formation of a temporary Federal interagency Taskforce to coordinate efforts to address maternal mental health, and to create a national strategic plan including recommendations to state governors, House and Senate Committees, and relevant federal agencies to support and improve maternal mental health in the U.S.
The Into the Light Act provides permanent mental health resources to moms across the country, from a 24/7 voice and text hotline to grants to states to support improved screening and treatment programs.
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services (Midwives for MOMS) Act
This legislation will address maternity care provider shortages in rural and underserved areas throughout the country with the goal of improving maternal and child health outcomes, especially among underrepresented Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian women, and scale up and diversify the midwifery workforce. This bill will establish two new funding streams for accredited midwifery education programs under Health Resource and Services Administration’s Title VII Health Professions Training Program and Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. Grant funding would be prioritized for midwifery programs whose students commit to practicing in a maternity care provider shortage area upon graduation and certification and/or are from underrepresented groups. Funding could also be awarded to programs to help preceptors who train midwifery students, and funding could also be awarded to colleges and universities, including HBCUs, for the establishment or expansion of midwifery education programs.
2021 ‘MOMNIBUS’ Policy Platform
Bill Categories Include:
Overall Support
Working Moms: Paid Family Leave & Affordable Childcare
Maternal Mortality / Maternal Health Disparities
Maternal Mental Health
Overall Support for Families
H.R. 928 American Family Act of 2021
This bill modifies the child tax credit to (1) make the credit fully refundable, (2) increase the amount of the credit and allow an additional credit for children who are under six years of age, (3) require the amount of the credit to be adjusted annually for inflation, and (4) require the Department of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of the credit on a monthly basis.
Fact Sheet: The American Families Plan | The White House
The American Family Act — Expand the Child Tax Credit
Working Moms:
Pregnant Worker Protections, Paid Family Leave & Child Care
Pregnancy Protections
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act H.R. 1065
This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
Note: Paid family leave and child care proposals are still being introduced and refined by Congress. Mom Congress has not yet selected bills(s) to endorse in these categories, however the bills below are being watched by the team.
Childcare
Improving Childcare for Working Families Act of 2021 S. 897
This bill increases the limitation on the exclusion from employee gross income for employer-paid dependent care assistance from $5,000 to $10,500.
Childcare for Working Families Act (not yet numbered reintroduced by Senators Patty Murray & Bobby Scott) Press Release.
Would use subsidies to raise child care workers’ pay while ensuring no family earning less than 150% of a state’s median income would spend more than 7% of its income on child care. Lower-income families would pay less or nothing at all.
Ways & Means Committee - Building an Economy for Families Act
A groundbreaking plan to reshape the American economy through universal paid family and medical leave, guaranteed access to child care, and permanently extending worker and family-related refundable tax credits from the American Rescue Plan.
(Child Care and Paid Family Leave)
Ways and Means - Paid Family Leave Press Release
Paid Family Leave
The Family Act S. 248 / H.R. 804
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act
This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for a specified benefit period and prescribes a formula for determining the individual's monthly benefit amount. The bill would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take time for their own serious health conditions, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery; the serious health condition of a child, parent, spouse or domestic partner; the birth or adoption of a child; and/or for particular military caregiving and leave purposes. It would enable workers to earn 66 percent of their monthly wages, up to a capped amount. It would be funded responsibly by small employee and employer payroll contributions of two-tenths of 1 percent each (two cents per $10 in wages).
Family Medical Leave Modernization Act S. 1185 / H.R. 2589
Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to permit leave to care for a domestic partner, parent-in-law, or adult child, or another related individual, who has a serious health condition, and to allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental involvement and family wellness leave to participate in or attend their children's and grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities or meet family care needs (**Currently shows no related bills, but see below)
Maternal Mortality Prevention/Maternal Health Disparities
*The Full 2021 Black Maternal Health Momnibus S. 346 / H.R. 959
*The Kira Johnson Act H.R. 1212
Provides funding to community-based organizations that are working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity. Provides funding to implement training on bias and racism for all employees in maternity care settings. Establishes Respectful Maternity Care Compliance programs to promote accountability in hospitals and birth settings.
*The Data to Save Moms Act S. 347 / H.R. 925
(While this bill is currently not bipartisan, but is expected to have bipartisan support soon.)
This bill expands data collection and research on maternal morbidity and mortality among minority populations. Specifically, the bill adds requirements to a program within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that supports maternal mortality review committees.
The CDC may also award grants to committees to increase their engagement with local communities, such as by bringing on community representatives as committee members.
The Indian Health Service and the Department of Health and Human Services must also arrange for studies on adverse maternal health outcomes among tribal and minority populations, respectively.
The Midwives for Moms Act (This bill is not yet numbered)
Rep. Roybal-Allard & Assistant Speaker Clark: Assistant Speaker Clark, Rep. Roybal-Allard Introduce Legislation to Address Maternal Mortality Crisis - Press Release
The Midwives for MOMS Act will address the growing maternity care provider shortage by establishing two new funding streams for midwifery education. In addition, the bill will address the significant lack of diversity in the maternity care workforce by focusing resources on students from minority or disadvantaged communities.
Supporting Best Practices for Healthy Moms Act S. 408
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish and periodically update guidance for hospitals, freestanding birth centers, and other maternal care providers on ways to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The CMS must also report on the Medicaid payment methodologies that apply to facility transfers of pregnant women.
Rural MOMS Act S. 1491
This bill will direct the CDC to report on women’s health conditions according to sociocultural and geographic contexts and expand existing federal telehealth grant programs to include birth and postpartum services as part of telehealth networks and allow federal funding to be used for ultrasound machines, fetal monitoring equipment, and other pregnancy-related technology.
Rural Moms Act H.R. 769
Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act or the Rural MOMS Act
This bill expands initiatives to address maternal health in rural areas.
The bill provides funding through FY2026 for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric networks. These networks must foster collaboration to improve birth outcomes and reduce maternal morbidity in rural areas. HRSA also must award demonstration grants to medical schools and other health professional training programs to support education and training on maternal health in rural areas.
In addition, the bill incorporates maternal health services in certain telehealth grant programs.
MOMMIES Act S. 1542 / H.R. 3063
MOMMIES (Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Service) Extends coverage for birthing people from two months to a full year after childbirth.
The bill builds on the recent expansion of Medicaid coverage for pregnant postpartum people that the lawmakers helped secure through the American Rescue Plan.
Healthy MOM Act H.R. 3126
This bill will allow for pregnant women to enroll for support and expand postpartum coverage from six weeks to one year.
Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act S. 1675
This bill authorizes a program to support development and implementation of evidence-based best practices to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity;
Authorize a grant program for racial and ethnic bias training for health care providers;
Create a study on best practices for teaching within health professional training programs to reduce and prevent discrimination;
Support state-based perinatal quality collaboratives; and
Authorize a grant program for developing integrated health care services for pregnant and postpartum individuals.
The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act passed the House unanimously in 2020 but failed to pass the Senate before the end of the 116th Congress. We hope you'll join us in endorsing this important, foundational bill, and help encourage the Senate to take care of unfinished business.
Maternal Mental Health
*Moms Matter Act S. 484 / H.R. 909
Invests in community-based programs that provide mental and behavioral health treatments and support to moms with maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorder, including:
Group prenatal and postpartum care models;
Collaborative maternity care models;
Initiatives to address stigma and raise awareness about warning signs for maternal mental and behavioral health conditions;
Programs at freestanding birth centers; and
Suicide prevention programs.
Provides funding for programs to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce to expand access to culturally congruent care and support for pregnant and postpartum people with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
TRIUMPH for New Moms Act H.R. 4217
This bill would create the formation of a maternal mental health task force of federal agencies to:
Review and identify existing programs and best practices;
Close gaps, eliminate federal duplication, and coordinate federal resources; and
Create a national strategy and issue recommendations to Governors.
Misc:
The Marshall Plan for Moms Resolution
*These bills are all part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 H.R. 959 / S. 346 which Mom Congress supports.
2020 ‘MOMNIBUS’ Policy Platform
Categories include:
Working Moms: Paid Leave & Childcare
Maternal Mental Health
Maternal Mortality Prevention / Maternal Health
Black and Indigenous Maternal Mortality Prevention
Working Moms:
FAMILY Act (H.R. 1185/S.463)
This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for a specified benefit period and prescribes a formula for determining the individual's monthly benefit amount. The bill would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take time for their own serious health conditions, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery; the serious health condition of a child, parent, spouse or domestic partner; the birth or adoption of a child; and/or for particular military caregiving and leave purposes. It would enable workers to earn 66 percent of their monthly wages, up to a capped amount. It would be funded responsibly by small employee and employer payroll contributions of two-tenths of 1 percent each (two cents per $10 in wages).
Maternal Mental Health
Increased Funding for the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act
Passed in 2016 under the 21st Century Cures Act, the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act authorized the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to make grants totaling $5M / year for culturally competent programs to screen and treat women with prenatal or postpartum depression under the “Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression Program”. For Fiscal Year 2021, we are requesting an increase of $3M for this program, totaling $8M for the Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression Program. Funded activities (1) shall include training and resources, including information on maternal depression screening, treatment, follow-up support, and community referrals; and (2) may include real-time psychiatric consultation programs to assist providers in treating pregnant and postpartum women, public awareness campaigns, start-up costs, and linkages to community-based resources.
Update 12/22/2020, $5 million in continued funding (“level funding”) was secured in the budget passed by congress this month. (Additionally $3 million was secured for a dedicated maternal mental health hotline.)
Maternal Mortality / Maternal Health
Helping MOMS Act (H.R. 4996)
This bill allows states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year. This change will remove barriers that prevent new mothers from getting necessary care during a critical time – the data show that nearly one-third of all pregnancy-related deaths occur 43 to 365 days postpartum.
The Rural Moms Act (H.R. 4243/S. 2373)
The bill provides funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric telemedicine networks for improving outcomes in birth and maternal morbidity. Specifically, these networks must (1) connect individuals with care providers, (2) identify successful maternal-care models, (3) facilitate collaboration among rural providers, (4) provide training and guidance, (5) collaborate with academic institutions that have regional expertise, and (6) measure and address inequities in birth outcomes among rural residents.
Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act (H.R. 5640/S. 3152)
This bill looks at locations in the U.S. where there are high maternal mortality rates to increase broadband access to provide telemedicine in those locations. The bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health maps.
Midwives for MOMS Act (Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act) (H.R. 3849)
To address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for other purposes. The bill will allow the U.S. to train more midwives by establishing two grant programs for midwifery education: one in the Title VII Health Professions Training Programs, and one in the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs.
Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2019 (H.R. 4995)
The relevant provisions of each bill would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to establish grant programs to develop and disseminate best practices to improve maternal health care quality, training, and education in order to reduce preventable maternal mortality. It includes provisions on Innovation for Maternal Health, Training for Health Care Providers, Study on Training to Reduce and Prevent Discrimination, Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, and Integrated Services for Pregnant and Postpartum Women.
Healthy MOMMIES Act (H.R. 2602), MOMMIES Act (S. 1343)
This bill would expand Medicaid coverage to include a full range of services to ensure people have access to comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum; granting access to primary health care providers by extending the Affordable Care Act’s primary care for Medicaid beneficiaries; establishing a maternity care home model demonstration project; and more. Aims to improve maternal health outcomes by targeting care access, quality, cost, and experience. Among other provisions, this bill will extend Medicaid coverage to a year following childbirth; pilot maternity care homes, a model that provides coordinated, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate services and care; and assess and recommend strategies to expand Medicaid coverage of doula care.
Update 12/22/2020, none of the maternal health bills introduced this session (in the 116th congress) were passed in 2020.
Black Maternal Health
Mom Congress is a proud supporter of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus, a package of 9 bills dedicated to ending preventable maternal mortality and closing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.
The Mom Congress policy committee in particular believes that the Kira Johnson Act,
in promoting creation of Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Offices
is particularly important.
Honoring Kira Johnson Act (H.R. 6144)
This bill provides funding for community-based organizations – particularly organizations led by Black women – to improve Black maternal health outcomes; provides funding for grant programs to implement and study consistent bias, racism, and discrimination trainings for all employees in maternity care settings; and provides funding to establish Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Offices within hospitals to provide mechanisms for pregnant and postpartum patients to report instances of disrespect or evidence of racial, ethnic, or other types of bias and promote accountability.
Update 12/22/2020, none of the maternal health bills, including those in the Black Maternal Health Momniburs were passed in 2020.
2019 Momnibus
H.R. 1897 MOMMA Act: Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act
H.R. 2500 Federal Employee Paid Leave Act
H.R. 4768 MIECHV/Addressing maternal mortality and morbidity
H.R. 4995 Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act
H.R. 4996 Helping MOMS (Medicaid Offer Maternity Services) Act