---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 712"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "712"
heading: "Services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/712"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Social Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant"
---

# §712. Services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families

- (a) **In general—** In addition to any other payments made under this subchapter to a [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5), the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) may make [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to [eligible entities](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=7) for [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with or at risk for postpartum conditions and their families.
- (b) **Certain activities—** To the extent practicable and appropriate, the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) shall ensure that [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) funded under [subsection (a)](#a) provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions for individuals with or at risk for postpartum conditions and their families. The [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) may allow such [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to include the following:
  - (1) Delivering or enhancing outpatient and home-based health and support services, [including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) case management and comprehensive [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) services.
  - (2) Delivering or enhancing inpatient care management services that ensure the well-being of the mother and family and the future development of the infant.
  - (3) Improving the quality, availability, and organization of health care and support services ([including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) transportation services, attendant care, homemaker services, day or respite care, and providing counseling on financial assistance and insurance).
  - (4) Providing education about postpartum conditions to promote earlier diagnosis and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11). Such education may include—
    - (A) providing complete information on postpartum conditions, symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) resources; and
    - (B) in the case of a grantee that is a [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5), [hospital](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), or birthing [facility](/usc/42/1320a–3.md?p=c-5-B)—
      - (i) providing education to new mothers and fathers, and other family members as appropriate, concerning postpartum conditions before new mothers leave the health [facility](/usc/42/1320a–3.md?p=c-5-B); and
      - (ii) ensuring that training programs regarding such education are carried out at the health [facility](/usc/42/1320a–3.md?p=c-5-B).
- (c) **Integration with other programs—** To the extent practicable and appropriate, the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) may integrate the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) program under this section with other [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) programs carried out by the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6), [including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) the program under [section 254b of this title](/usc/42/254b.md).
- (d) **Requirements—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) shall establish requirements for [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) made under this section that include a limit on the amount of [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) funds that may be used for [administration](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-10), accounting, reporting, or program oversight functions and a requirement for each [eligible entity](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=7) that receives a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) to submit, for each [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) period, a report to the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) that describes how [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) funds were used during such period.
- (e) **Technical assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) may provide technical assistance to entities seeking a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) under this section in order to assist such entities in complying with the requirements of this section.
- (f) **Application of other provisions of subchapter—**
  - (1) **In general—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#f-2), the other provisions of this subchapter shall not apply to a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) made under this section.
  - (2) **Exceptions—** The following provisions of this subchapter shall apply to a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) made under this section to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply to allotments made under [section 702(c) of this title](/usc/42/702.md?p=c):
    - (A) [Section 704(b)(6) of this title](/usc/42/704.md?p=b-6) (relating to prohibition on payments to excluded individuals and entities).
    - (B) [Section 704(c) of this title](/usc/42/704.md?p=c) (relating to the use of funds for the purchase of technical assistance).
    - (C) [Section 704(d) of this title](/usc/42/704.md?p=d) (relating to a limitation on administrative expenditures).
    - (D) [Section 706 of this title](/usc/42/706.md) (relating to reports and audits), but only to the extent determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) to be appropriate for [grants](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) made under this section.
    - (E) [Section 707 of this title](/usc/42/707.md) (relating to penalties for false statements).
    - (F) [Section 708 of this title](/usc/42/708.md) (relating to nondiscrimination).
    - (G) [Section 709(a) of this title](/usc/42/709.md?p=a) (relating to the [administration](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-10) of the [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) program).
- (g) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “[eligible entity](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=7)”—
    - (A) means a public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entity; and
    - (B) [includes](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) a [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) or local government, public-private partnership, recipient of a [grant](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=10) under [section 254c–8 of this title](/usc/42/254c–8.md) (relating to the Healthy Start Initiative), public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private [hospital](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), community-based organization, hospice, ambulatory care [facility](/usc/42/1320a–3.md?p=c-5-B), community health center, migrant health center, public housing primary care center, or homeless health center.
  - (2) The term “postpartum condition” means postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis.

## Source credit

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, § 512, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title II, § 2952(b), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 345.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 712, act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, § 512, as added Jan. 2, 1968, Pub. L. 90–248, title III, § 301, 81 Stat. 927, which provided for research projects relating to maternal and child health services and crippled children’s services, was omitted in the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 97–35, title XXI, § 2192(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 818.

Another prior section 712, acts Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, § 512, 49 Stat. 631; Aug. 10, 1939, ch. 666, title V, § 505, 53 Stat. 1380; 1946 Reorg. Plan. No. 2, § 1, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7873, 60 Stat. 1095; Aug. 10, 1946, ch. 951, title IV, § 401(b)(5), (6), 60 Stat. 986; Aug. 28, 1950, ch. 809, title III, pt. 3, § 331(d), pt. 6, § 361(e), 64 Stat. 552, 558; Aug. 28, 1958, Pub. L. 85–840, title VI, § 603(b), (c), 72 Stat. 1055; Sept. 13, 1960, Pub. L. 86–778, title VII, § 707(a)(2)(B), (C), (b)(2)(A), 74 Stat. 996; Oct. 24, 1963, Pub. L. 88–156, § 3(b), (c), 77 Stat. 274, which provided for allotment to States for services for crippled children, was covered by former section 704 of this title.

Provisions similar to those comprising former section 712 were contained in section 533, formerly section 532, of act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title V, as added Oct. 24, 1963, Pub. L. 88–156, § 4, 77 Stat. 274, and renumbered July 30, 1965, Pub. L. 89–97, title II, § 205(2), 79 Stat. 354 (formerly classified to section 729a of this title), prior to the general amendment and renumbering of title V of act Aug. 14, 1935, by Pub. L. 90–248, § 301.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Support, Education, and Research for Postpartum Depression

Pub. L. 111–148, title II, § 2952(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 344, provided that:Research on Postpartum Conditions.— Expansion and intensification of activities.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subsection and subsection (c) referred to as the ‘Secretary’) is encouraged to continue activities on postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis (in this subsection and subsection (c) referred to as ‘postpartum conditions’), including research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions. Activities under this paragraph shall include conducting and supporting the following: Basic research concerning the etiology and causes of the conditions. Epidemiological studies to address the frequency and natural history of the conditions and the differences among racial and ethnic groups with respect to the conditions. The development of improved screening and diagnostic techniques. Clinical research for the development and evaluation of new treatments. Information and education programs for health care professionals and the public, which may include a coordinated national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of postpartum conditions. Activities under such a national campaign may— include public service announcements through television, radio, and other means; and focus on— raising awareness about screening; educating new mothers and their families about postpartum conditions to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment; and ensuring that such education includes complete information concerning postpartum conditions, including its symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and treatment resources.Sense of congress regarding longitudinal study of relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy.— Sense of congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study (during the period of fiscal years 2010 through 2019) of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy (intended and unintended) in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, and having an abortion. This study may assess the incidence, timing, magnitude, and duration of the immediate and long-term mental health consequences (positive or negative) of these pregnancy outcomes. Report.—Subject to the completion of the study under subsection (a), beginning not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Mar. 23, 2010], and periodically thereafter for the duration of the study, such Director may prepare and submit to the Congress reports on the findings of the study.”