The Momnibus: Kira Johnson Act

Introduced by Rep. 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.

 

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 BlackMaternalHealthCaucus@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. The funding, which will be available specifically and exclusively for community-based organizations.
  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

In Fiscal Year 2023, through Co-Chair Underwood's role on the Appropriations Committee, the BMHC 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:

Award RecipientsCityStateAmount
Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. dba Heluna HealthCity of IndustryCA*$1,249,815
The Regents of the University of California, IrvineIrvineCA$1,228,564
Clayton County Health DistrictJonesboroGA$1,250,000
Boston Public Health CommissionBostonMA$1,190,425
Henry Ford Health SystemDetroitMI$1,230,000
Saint Francis Medical CenterCape GirardeauMO$1,116,106
University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNE$1,015,069
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey**TrentonNJ**$1,250,000
Washington CountyHillsboroOR$1,229,998
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode IslandProvidenceRI$1,230,119
Bexar County Hospital District dba University HealthSan AntonioTX$1,249,903

 

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. ACHNE
  6. African American Breastfeeding Network
  7. African Heritage PA Caucus
  8. Alliance to End Hunger
  9. American Academy of Family Physicians
  10. American Academy of Nursing
  11. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  12. American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
  13. American Association of Birth Centers
  14. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  15. American College of Nurse-Midwives
  16. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  17. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  18. American Heart Association
  19. American Muslim Health Professionals
  20. American Nurses Association
  21. American Psychological Association
  22. American Public Health Association
  23. Ancient Song
  24. Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  25. Arika Trim Foundation
  26. Association of Black Cardiologists
  27. Association of Black Women Physicians
  28. Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
  29. Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology
  30. Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN)
  31. Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
  32. Baby Cafe USA
  33. Babyscripts
  34. Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative
  35. Big Cities Health Coalition
  36. Birthing Beautiful Communities
  37. Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA)
  38. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association
  39. Black Women Birthing Justice, Inc
  40. Bloom Maternal Health
  41. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA)
  42. Blue Shield of California
  43. Bobbie
  44. Boston Medical Center
  45. Breastfeed Durham
  46. Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities
  47. BreastfeedLA
  48. California Breastfeeding Coalition
  49. CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association)
  50. Catholic Health Association of the United States
  51. Catholics for Choice
  52. Center for American Progress
  53. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
  54. Center for Reproductive Rights
  55. Champaign County Health Care Consumers
  56. Children's Health Fund
  57. Cityblock Health
  58. Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
  59. Community Catalyst
  60. Deans' Nursing Policy Coalition
  61. Diversity Uplifts, Inc.
  62. DONA International
  63. Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project
  64. EcoMadres
  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 Birth and Family Center (HBFC)
  78. Health Tech for Medicaid (HT4M)
  79. HealthConnect One
  80. Healthy Birth Day Inc.
  81. HealthyWomen
  82. Heluna Health
  83. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
  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. Majaica
  91. Malone Center
  92. Mamatoto Village
  93. March for Moms
  94. March of Dimes
  95. Mary Amelia Center for Women's Health Equity Research
  96. Maternal Applications of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition
  97. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
  98. Maternity Care Coalition
  99. Melinated Moms
  100. Mental Health America
  101. Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
  102. Mom Congres
  103. Mom.ME.
  104. Mom2Mom Global
  105. Momma’s Village Fayetteville
  106. Moms Clean Air Force
  107. MomsRising
  108. Mothering Justice
  109. Mothers Out Front
  110. NARAL Pro-Choice America
  111. Narrative Nation Inc.
  112. National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
  113. National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
  114. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
  115. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
  116. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  117. National Association of School Nurses
  118. National Health Law Program
  119. National Healthy Start Association
  120. National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
  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 Partnership for Women & Families
  127. National Perinatal Task Force
  128. National Rural Health Association
  129. National Student Nurses' Association
  130. National Urban League
  131. National WIC Association
  132. National Women's Law Center
  133. Nemours Children's Health
  134. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
  135. New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
  136. Nurse-Family Partnership
  137. Nurses for America
  138. Nurture Postnatal Care
  139. Nzuri Doula Services
  140. Ob Hospitalist Group
  141. Once Upon A Preemie, Inc
  142. PA Education Association
  143. Pace University
  144. Partners In Health
  145. Poppy Seed Health
  146. Postpartum Support International (PSI)
  147. Power to Decide
  148. Pregnancy Justice
  149. Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
  150. Prolacta Bioscience
  151. Protect Our Care
  152. Reach Healthcare - Happy Mama
  153. riskLD
  154. Shades of Blue Project
  155. Sista Midwife Productions
  156. Sister to Sister International, Inc.
  157. SisterReach
  158. SisterReach Illinois
  159. Six Dimensions
  160. SMART Recovery
  161. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  162. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
  163. Society for Women's Health Research
  164. Sojourners
  165. Star Legacy Foundation
  166. The Arc of the United States
  167. The Children's Partnership
  168. The Collaborative
  169. The Kennedy Forum
  170. The National Women's Health Network
  171. The Root Cause Coalition
  172. The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
  173. Third Way
  174. Trust for America's Health
  175. U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
  176. Union for Reform Judaism
  177. United Against Inequities in Disease
  178. United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
  179. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
  180. Urban Baby Beginnings
  181. Urban Mommy Inc
  182. Vitality Wellness Solutions PLLC
  183. What to Expect Project
  184. Wolomi
  185. WomenHeart
  186. ZERO TO THREE