Blog Archives

Resolved, That the Senate— (1) recognizes the important role of doulas in providing respectful, responsive care to all women, including women in underserved communities who lack access to maternal health services; (2) acknowledges that doula support services provide continuous physical and emotional support to help mothers achieve healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries and recoveries; (3) urges greater recognition for the important role that doulas play in— (A) supporting improved pregnancy, birth, and postpartum outcomes, including maternal mental health; (B) reducing health care costs and working towards the elimination of health disparities; and (C) overcoming barriers for assisting low-income women of color and women in rural areas with access to health and social supports; (4) designates the week beginning May 9, 2021, as “Doula Week” to raise awareness for, and advocate for the benefits of, doulas and the support services doulas provide; and (5) recognizes the importance of access to doula support services, especially in underserved communities.

Resolved, That the Senate— (1) recognizes the important role of fathers in increasing positive maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity; (2) acknowledges that father engagement efforts provide continuous physical and emotional support, which can contribute to healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and successful postpartum recoveries; (3) acknowledges that sustained engagement by a father throughout the life of their child is a privileged responsibility that fulfills the father as much as the child; and (4) wishes all fathers and father figures in the United States a happy Father’s Day.

The Tech to Save Moms Act makes investments in evidence-based digital to reduce maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health disparities. The Tech to Save Moms Act will: 1. Require the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation to consider models that improve the integration of telehealth services in maternal health care. 2. Provide funding for technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models that will develop and disseminate instructional programming and training for maternity care providers in underserved areas. 3. Establish a grant program to promote digital tools designed to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly in underserved communities. 4. Commission a comprehensive study on the use of technology in maternity care to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities.

The Perinatal Workforce Act makes historic investments to increase the number of maternity care providers and non-clinical perinatal health workers who offer culturally congruent care and support during and after pregnancy. The Perinatal Workforce Act will: 1. Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to (1) provide guidance to states on the promotion of racially, ethnically, and professionally diverse maternity care teams and (2) to study how culturally congruent maternity care promotes better outcomes for moms, especially in communities of color. 2. Provide funding to establish and scale programs that will grow and diversify the maternal health clinical and non-clinical workforce, increasing the number of nurses, midwives, physician assistants, doulas, and other perinatal health workers who moms can trust throughout their pregnancies, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. 3. Study the barriers that prevent women – particularly from underserved communities – from entering maternity care professions and receiving equitable compensation.

Resolved, That the Senate— (1) recognizes the important role of fathers in increasing positive maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity; (2) acknowledges that father engagement efforts provide continuous physical and emotional support, which can contribute to healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and successful postpartum recoveries; (3) acknowledges that sustained engagement by a father throughout the life of their child is a privileged responsibility that fulfills the father as much as the child; and (4) wishes all fathers and father figures in the United States a happy Father’s Day.

Resolved, That the Senate— (1) recognizes the important role of doulas in providing respectful, responsive care to all women, including women in underserved communities who lack access to maternal health services; (2) acknowledges that doula support services provide continuous physical and emotional support to help mothers achieve healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries and recoveries; (3) urges greater recognition for the important role that doulas play in— (A) supporting improved pregnancy, birth, and postpartum outcomes, including maternal mental health; (B) reducing health care costs and working towards the elimination of health disparities; and (C) overcoming barriers for assisting low-income women of color and women in rural areas with access to health and social supports; (4) designates the week beginning May 9, 2021, as “Doula Week” to raise awareness for, and advocate for the benefits of, doulas and the support services doulas provide; and (5) recognizes the importance of access to doula support services, especially in underserved communities.

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act makes critical investments to address social determinants of health, provide funding for community-based organizations, grow and diversify the perinatal health workforce, expand access to maternal mental health care, address the effects of climate change on maternal and infant health, and improve data collection processes.

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement the maternity care coordination program. The VA must provide community maternity care providers (i.e., non-VA maternity care providers) with training and support with respect to the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum veterans, particularly regarding mental and behavioral health conditions in relation to the service of the veterans in the Armed Forces. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must report on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans, with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes for veterans.

The bipartisan Moms Matter Act will make investments in programs to support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders. It also provides critical funding to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce. The Moms Matter Act will: 1. Establish a Maternal Mental Health Equity Grant Program to invest in local initiatives supporting people with mental health conditions or substance use disorders during or after pregnancy. 2. Provide funding for programs to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce to expand access to high-quality maternal mental health care and substance use disorder services.