The Momnibus: Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act

Introduced by Representative Lauren Underwood and Senator Ed Markey

Background

Climate change and climate-related hazards – such as extreme heat, extreme weather events, air pollution, and water-related illnesses – pose a grave threat to pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum individuals and their babies. In fact, it’s estimated that extreme heat exposure during pregnancy is associated with a 27% increase in the risk of experiencing severe maternal morbidity, with Black mothers disproportionately impacted.²³

The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act will address these climate change-related risks, making robust investments in initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, and other environmental threats to pregnant people, new moms, and their infants.

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

Bill Summary

The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act will:

  1. Invest in community-based programs to identify and address climate change-related maternal and infant health risks, particularly in communities of color.
  2. Provide funding to health professional schools to prepare future nurses, doctors, and other health care workers to address climate change-related risks for patients.
  3. Establish an NIH consortium to advance research on climate change and maternal & infant health.
  4. Develop a comprehensive strategy to identify and designate climate change risk zones for pregnant and postpartum people and their babies.

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 Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change 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. Dr. Shalon's Maternal Action Project
  62. EcoMadres
  63. Engage: Promoting Women’s Economic Security
  64. EverThrive Illinois
  65. Every Mother Counts
  66. Families USA
  67. Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce
  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. Nzuri Doula Services
  136. Ob Hospitalist Group
  137. Once Upon A Preemie, Inc
  138. PA Education Association
  139. Pace University
  140. Partners In Health
  141. Poppy Seed Health
  142. Postpartum Support International (PSI)
  143. Pregnancy Justice
  144. Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
  145. Prolacta Bioscience
  146. Reach Healthcare - Happy Mama
  147. riskLD
  148. Roots and River Wellness
  149. Sista Midwife Productions
  150. Sister to Sister International, Inc.
  151. SisterReach
  152. SisterReach Illinois
  153. Six Dimensions
  154. SMART Recovery
  155. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
  156. Society for Women's Health Research
  157. Sojourners
  158. Star Legacy Foundation
  159. The Arc of the United States
  160. The Children's Partnership
  161. The Collaborative
  162. The Kennedy Forum
  163. The National Women's Health Network
  164. The Root Cause Coalition
  165. The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
  166. Third Way
  167. Trust for America's Health
  168. Union for Reform Judaism
  169. United Against Inequities in Disease
  170. United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
  171. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
  172. Urban Baby Beginnings
  173. Urban Mommy Inc
  174. Vitality Wellness Solutions PLLC
  175. What to Expect Project
  176. Wolomi
  177. ZERO TO THREE

 

 

2 JAMA: Analysis of Heat Exposure During Pregnancy and Severe Maternal Morbidity

3 JAMA: Association of Air Pollution and Heat Exposure With Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Stillbirth in the US