The Momnibus: Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act

Introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood and Senator Elizabeth Warren

Background

An October 2022 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that maternal health outcomes worsened significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.24 Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), GAO found that COVID-19 contributed to 25 percent of maternal deaths in 2020 and 2021 – and the number of maternal deaths in 2021 was nearly 80 percent higher than the number in 2018. The maternal mortality rate increased by more than 50 percent for Black women and more than 100 percent by Hispanic women from 2019 to 2021.25

The Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act makes key investments and advances comprehensive strategies to address maternal health risks during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic now and in the future.

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

Bill Summary

The Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act will:

  1. Authorize robust funding for federal programs that support maternal and infant health during public health emergencies: the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Program, Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
  2. Improve maternal health data collection, reporting, and transparency standards during public health emergencies.
  3. Support public health education campaigns on providing safe maternity care during public health emergencies.
  4. Establish a task force on birthing experiences and safe, respectful maternity care during public health emergencies.

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

Cosponsors

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

Endorsements

The Maternal Health Pandemic Act is endorsed by the following organizations:

  1. 1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions
  2. A Better Balance
  3. ACA Consumer Advocacy
  4. ACHNE
  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 Association of Nurse Practitioners
  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. HIMSS
  84. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
  85. Ingram Screening, LLC
  86. International OCD Foundation
  87. Lamaze International
  88. Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms Program at UMass Chan Medical School
  89. Living Well Black
  90. Luna Tierra Birth Center
  91. Majaica
  92. Malone Center
  93. Mamatoto Village
  94. March for Moms
  95. March of Dimes
  96. Mary Amelia Center for Women's Health Equity Research
  97. Maternal Applications of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition
  98. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
  99. Maternity Care Coalition
  100. Melinated Moms
  101. Mental Health America
  102. Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
  103. Mom Congres
  104. Mom.ME.
  105. Mom2Mom Global
  106. Momma’s Village Fayetteville
  107. Moms Clean Air Force
  108. MomsRising
  109. Mothering Justice
  110. Mothers Out Front
  111. NARAL Pro-Choice America
  112. Narrative Nation Inc.
  113. National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
  114. National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
  115. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
  116. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
  117. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  118. National Association of School Nurses
  119. National Health Law Program
  120. National Healthy Start Association
  121. National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
  122. National League for Nursing
  123. National Medical Association
  124. National Medical Fellowships, Inc.,
  125. National Organization for Women
  126. National Organization for Women - Hollywood Chapter
  127. National Partnership for Women & Families
  128. National Perinatal Task Force
  129. National Rural Health Association
  130. National Student Nurses' Association
  131. National Urban League
  132. National WIC Association
  133. National Women's Law Center
  134. Nemours Children's Health
  135. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
  136. New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
  137. Nurse-Family Partnership
  138. Nurses for America
  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

 

24 U.S. Government Accountability Office: Maternal Health: Outcomes Worsened and Disparities Persisted During the Pandemic

25 U.S. Government Accountability Office: Maternal Health: Outcomes Worsened and Disparities Persisted During the Pandemic