1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021”.
Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021
A BILL
To end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, and for other purposes.
2. Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
3. Definitions
In this Act:
Culturally congruent— The term culturally congruent, with respect to care or maternity care, means care that is in agreement with the preferred cultural values, beliefs, worldview, language, and practices of the health care consumer and other stakeholders.
Maternity care provider— The term maternity care provider means a health care provider who—
is a physician, physician assistant, midwife who meets at a minimum the international definition of the midwife and global standards for midwifery education as established by the International Confederation of Midwives, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist; and
has a focus on maternal or perinatal health.
Maternal mortality— The term maternal mortality means a death occurring during or within a one-year period after pregnancy, caused by pregnancy-related or childbirth complications, including a suicide, overdose, or other death resulting from a mental health or substance use disorder attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy-related or childbirth complications.
Perinatal health worker— The term perinatal health worker means a doula, community health worker, peer supporter, breastfeeding and lactation educator or counselor, nutritionist or dietitian, childbirth educator, social worker, home visitor, language interpreter, or navigator.
Postpartum and postpartum period— The terms postpartum and postpartum period refer to the 1-year period beginning on the last day of the pregnancy of an individual.
Pregnancy-associated death— The term pregnancy-associated death means a death of a pregnant or postpartum individual, by any cause, that occurs during, or within 1 year following, the individual’s pregnancy, regardless of the outcome, duration, or site of the pregnancy.
Pregnancy-related death— The term pregnancy-related death means a death of a pregnant or postpartum individual that occurs during, or within 1 year following, the individual’s pregnancy, from a pregnancy complication, a chain of events initiated by pregnancy, or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.
Racial and ethnic minority group— The term racial and ethnic minority group has the meaning given such term in section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)).
Severe maternal morbidity— The term severe maternal morbidity means a health condition, including mental health conditions and substance use disorders, attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy or childbirth that results in significant short-term or long-term consequences to the health of the individual who was pregnant.
Social determinants of maternal health— The term social determinants of maternal health means non-clinical factors that impact maternal health outcomes, including—
economic factors, which may include poverty, employment, food security, support for and access to lactation and other infant feeding options, housing stability, and related factors;
neighborhood factors, which may include quality of housing, access to transportation, access to child care, availability of healthy foods and nutrition counseling, availability of clean water, air and water quality, ambient temperatures, neighborhood crime and violence, access to broadband, and related factors;
social and community factors, which may include systemic racism, gender discrimination or discrimination based on other protected classes, workplace conditions, incarceration, and related factors;
household factors, which may include ability to conduct lead testing and abatement, car seat installation, indoor air temperatures, and related factors;
education access and quality factors, which may include educational attainment, language and literacy, and related factors; and
health care access factors, including health insurance coverage, access to culturally congruent health care services, providers, and non-clinical support, access to home visiting services, access to wellness and stress management programs, health literacy, access to telehealth and items required to receive telehealth services, and related factors.
4. Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
the respect and proper care that birthing people deserve is inclusive; and
regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, familial status, socioeconomic status, immigration status, incarceration status, or disability, all deserve dignity.