Sponsors (14)
Introduced October 31, 2025 by Frederica Wilson · Last progress October 31, 2025
The bill increases oversight, data collection, and transparency to improve maternal care in custody, but it also creates reporting burdens and funding penalties that could strain state/local resources and incentivize gaming of the system.
Pregnant people in custody will have better-documented maternal care and oversight because quarterly reporting and mandated data collection lets DOJ track pregnancy testing, timely prenatal/postpartum visits, and facility practices that affect outcomes.
Families, taxpayers, and the public gain more transparency when DOJ publishes anonymized reports and conducts studies linking facility practices to adverse maternal/neonatal outcomes within two years.
States that comply may receive reallocated JAG funds from noncompliant states, creating a financial incentive for states to improve custody maternal-care practices without new federal appropriations.
Noncompliant states risk losing up to 10% of JAG funding, reducing resources for local public-safety programs and grants across many communities.
Some states may underreport, alter custody practices, or otherwise game the data to avoid penalties, which could undermine the accuracy of reporting and the effectiveness of DOJ’s studies and reforms.
Quarterly reporting imposes administrative and data-collection burdens on correctional facilities and state agencies, potentially requiring staff time or system updates within tight timeframes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires states receiving Byrne JAG funds to submit quarterly anonymized reports on pregnancies and births in custody and allows up to a 10% grant reduction for noncompliance.
Requires states that receive Edward Byrne JAG grant funds to submit quarterly, anonymized, aggregate reports to the Attorney General about people who were pregnant or gave birth while in custody. Reports must include counts, race/ethnicity, timing of admission and outcomes, prenatal and postpartum care metrics, use of restraints, and use of restrictive housing. States must begin reporting within 120 days of enactment (one 120-day extension allowed); failure to comply can trigger a reduction of up to 10% of that state’s JAG allocation for a fiscal year, with withheld funds reallocated to compliant states. The Attorney General will publish the reports publicly, study the data (including links between adverse outcomes and facility practices), and deliver findings to Congress within two years.