On May 18, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), along with Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Moms Matter Act (S. 4552/H.R. 8811) to increase investments in maternal mental health programs and expand the maternal mental health workforce to better support moms and pregnant women.
The Moms Matter Act would establish two grant programs to support moms experiencing maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders by investing in community-based programs that provide mental and behavioral health resources. The bill would also provide funding for programs to grow and diversify the maternal healthcare workforce in an effort to ensure quality, culturally competent care for populations with elevated rates of maternal mortality.
The Moms Matter Act is one of fourteen bills included in the Momnibus package, a comprehensive legislative effort to address the root causes of America’s maternal health crisis and advance maternal health equity nationwide. The Momnibus was first introduced in 2020.
Like previous versions, the bill invests in community-based programs that provide mental and behavioral health treatments and support to moms with maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorder, including:
- Group prenatal and postpartum care models
- Collaborative maternity care models
- Initiatives to address stigma and raise awareness about warning signs for maternal mental and behavioral health conditions
- Programs at freestanding birth centers
- Suicide prevention programs
While the bill has been introduced in both the House and Senate, the path forward remains unclear. The Policy Center will continue to monitor this bill, the broader Momnibus package, as well as other relevant legislation in the 119th Congress that could impact maternal mental health.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
