Sponsors (42)
The bill aims to reduce preventable maternal deaths and address racial and geographic disparities by justifying targeted, culturally competent maternal-care investments and expanding services in underserved areas, but it will increase public spending, require regulatory changes, and may spark political controversy over criminalization reforms.
Black women and other birthing people would gain stronger justification for targeted maternal-health investments and prevention-focused programs (e.g., hemorrhage/eclampsia protocols) that could reduce preventable pregnancy-related deaths and improve outcomes.
Calling out maternity care deserts and workforce shortages would support policies to expand prenatal and postpartum services in underserved and rural areas, improving access to care for low-income and rural communities.
Targeted investments and program expansions will likely require new or increased federal/state funding, raising government spending or reallocations that could affect taxpayers and other programs.
Recommendations to expand licensure, reimbursement, and support for community-based perinatal workers could increase costs for payers (including Medicaid) and require regulatory changes that take time and administrative effort to implement.
Emphasizing criminalization practices and calling for reforms could provoke political and public concern from those who favor strict enforcement in pregnancy-related substance-use or other cases, creating controversy around implementation.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Declares findings that Black women face sharply higher maternal mortality and morbidity, identifies causes and systemic drivers, and calls for investment in culturally informed maternal health supports.
Introduced April 16, 2026 by Alma Adams · Last progress April 16, 2026
Declares federal findings that Black women and birthing people in the United States experience much higher rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity than other groups, identifies medical causes and systemic drivers of those disparities, and states that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. It highlights factors such as higher cesarean and preterm birth rates, impacts of COVID–19, structural racism, gaps in maternity care access, workforce and reimbursement barriers, lack of mental health care and workplace accommodations, and criminalization of pregnancy; and it concludes that targeted investment in culturally congruent, justice-informed maternal health supports is needed.