The Momnibus: Kira Johnson Act

Introduced by Representative Alma Adams and Senator Raphael Warnock

Background

On April 12th, 2016, Kira Johnson checked into a hospital with her husband Charles to give birth to their second child, Langston. Kira – an entrepreneur, world traveler, mother of one healthy boy already, and a Black woman – did not make it out alive. Despite being in excellent health, Kira died from a hemorrhage approximately 12 hours after delivering Langston. Kira deserved better, and so do the Black mothers across the United States who are dying at disproportionately high rates.¹

The Kira Johnson Act makes investments in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to support moms. The bill also supports bias and racism training programs, research, and the establishment of Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs to address bias and racism, and to promote accountability in maternity care settings.

For more information or to add your organization’s endorsement to the list below, please email Momnibus@mail.house.gov.

Bill Summary

The Kira Johnson Act will:

  1. Establish a fund to provide robust funding directly to community-based organizations working to advance maternal health equity.
  2. Provide funding for grant programs to implement and study consistent bias, racism, and discrimination trainings for all employees in maternity care settings.
  3. Provide funding to establish Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs 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.

Click HERE for a printable one-pager on the bill.

Awards

Starting in Fiscal Year 2023, through Co-Chair Underwood's role on the Appropriations Committee, the BMHC has secured funding in the annual federal funding package based on the Kira Johnson Act. This funding is being used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health to directly fund community-based perinatal health services for moms in geographic areas with high rates of adverse maternal health conditions. Below is a list of Fiscal Year 2025 Awardees:

Award RecipientsCityStateAmount
Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. dba Heluna HealthCity of IndustryCA*$1,250,000
The Regents of the University of California, IrvineIrvineCA$334,000
Clayton County Health DistrictJonesboroGA$920,000
Boston Public Health CommissionBostonMA$698,868
Henry Ford Health SystemDetroitMI$978,000
Saint Francis Medical CenterCape GirardeauMO$947,066
University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNE$561,268
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey**TrentonNJ**$1,250,000
Washington CountyHillsboroOR$613,888
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode IslandProvidenceRI$829,000
Bexar County Hospital District dba University HealthSan AntonioTX$958,500

Cosponsors

Click HERE for the current list of House cosponsors and HERE for the current list of Senate cosponsors.

Endorsements

The Kira Johnson Act is endorsed by the following organizations:

  1. 1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions
  2. 4Kira4Moms
  3. A Better Balance
  4. ACA Consumer Advocacy
  5. African American Breastfeeding Network
  6. African Heritage PA Caucus
  7. Alliance to End Hunger
  8. American Academy of Family Physicians
  9. American Academy of Nursing
  10. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  11. American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
  12. American Association of Birth Centers
  13. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  14. American College of Nurse-Midwives
  15. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  16. American Heart Association
  17. American Muslim Health Professionals
  18. American Nurses Association
  19. American Psychological Association
  20. American Public Health Association
  21. Ancient Song Doula Services
  22. Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  23. Arika Trim Foundation
  24. Association of Black Cardiologists
  25. Association of Black Women Physicians
  26. Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) 
  27. Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
  28. Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology
  29. Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN)
  30. Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
  31. Baby Cafe USA
  32. Babyscripts
  33. Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative
  34. Big Cities Health Coalition
  35. Birthing Beautiful Communities
  36. Birthing Project USA
  37. Black Mamas Village
  38. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association
  39. Bloom Maternal Health
  40. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA)
  41. Blue Shield of California
  42. Bobbie
  43. Boston Medical Center
  44. Breastfeed Durham
  45. Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities
  46. BreastfeedLA
  47. California Breastfeeding Coalition
  48. CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association)
  49. Catholic Health Association of the United States
  50. Catholics for Choice
  51. Center for American Progress
  52. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
  53. Champaign County Health Care Consumers
  54. Changent (Child First & Nurse-Family Partnership)
  55. Children's Health Fund
  56. Cityblock Health
  57. Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
  58. Community Catalyst
  59. Deans' Nursing Policy Coalition
  60. DONA International
  61. Doula Alliance of Arkansas
  62. Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project
  63. EcoMadres
  64. Engage: Promoting Women’s Economic Security
  65. EverThrive Illinois
  66. Every Mother Counts
  67. Families USA
  68. Federation of American Hospitals
  69. Fibroid Foundation
  70. First Focus Campaign for Children
  71. Futures Without Violence
  72. GA Maternal Fetal Health Alliance
  73. GLO Preemies
  74. Glow Birth & Body and The Birth Deck
  75. Grow Midwives, LLC
  76. Hackensack Meridian Health
  77. Harambee Doula Care & Holistic Services
  78. Health Tech for Medicaid (HT4M)
  79. HealthConnect One
  80. Healthy Birth Day Inc.
  81. HealthyWomen
  82. Heluna Health
  83. Hustle Mommies
  84. Ingram Screening, LLC
  85. International OCD Foundation
  86. Lamaze International
  87. Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms Program at UMass Chan Medical School
  88. Living Well Black
  89. Luna Tierra Birth Center
  90. Mainline Maternity Care
  91. Majaica
  92. Malone Center
  93. March of Dimes
  94. Mary Amelia Center for Women's Health Equity Research
  95. Maternal Applications of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition
  96. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
  97. Maternity Care Coalition
  98. Melinated Moms
  99. Mental Health America
  100. Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
  101. Mom Congres
  102. Mom.ME.
  103. Mom2Mom Global
  104. Momma’s Village Fayetteville
  105. Moms Clean Air Force
  106. MomsRising
  107. Most Beautiful W.O.M.B. Inc
  108. Mothering Justice
  109. Mothers Out Front
  110. Narrative Nation Inc.
  111. National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
  112. National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
  113. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
  114. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
  115. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  116. National Association of School Nurses
  117. National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Chicago-Metropolitan Chapter
  118. National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
  119. National Health Law Program
  120. National Healthy Start Association
  121. National League for Nursing
  122. National Medical Association
  123. National Medical Fellowships, Inc.,
  124. National Organization for Women
  125. National Organization for Women - Hollywood Chapter
  126. National Perinatal Task Force
  127. National Urban League
  128. National WIC Association
  129. National Women's Law Center
  130. Nemours Children's Health
  131. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
  132. New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
  133. Northeast Arkansas Doulas
  134. Nurses for America
  135. Nurture Postnatal Care
  136. Nzuri Doula Services
  137. Ob Hospitalist Group
  138. Once Upon A Preemie, Inc
  139. PA Education Association
  140. Pace University
  141. Partners In Health
  142. Poppy Seed Health
  143. Postpartum Support International (PSI)
  144. Pregnancy Justice
  145. Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
  146. Prolacta Bioscience
  147. Reach Healthcare - Happy Mama
  148. riskLD
  149. Roots and River Wellness
  150. Sista Midwife Productions
  151. Sister to Sister International, Inc.
  152. SisterReach
  153. SisterReach Illinois
  154. Six Dimensions
  155. SMART Recovery
  156. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
  157. Society for Women's Health Research
  158. Sojourners
  159. Star Legacy Foundation
  160. The Arc of the United States
  161. The Children's Partnership
  162. The Collaborative
  163. The Kennedy Forum
  164. The National Women's Health Network
  165. The Root Cause Coalition
  166. The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
  167. Third Way
  168. Trust for America's Health
  169. U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
  170. Union for Reform Judaism
  171. United Against Inequities in Disease
  172. United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
  173. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
  174. Urban Baby Beginnings
  175. Urban Mommy Inc
  176. Vitality Wellness Solutions PLLC
  177. What to Expect Project
  178. Wolomi
  179. WomenHeart
  180. ZERO TO THREE

 

1 KFF: Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Key Issues