HR7973-119

In Committee

Momnibus Act

119th Congress Introduced Mar 18, 2026

Summary

What This Bill Does

The Momnibus Act is a large maternal-health package. It creates an HHS task force on the maternal health crisis, funds social-determinants grants, extends WIC postpartum eligibility from 6 months to 24 months, funds community-based maternal health equity organizations, and creates respectful maternity care training, studies, compliance programs, and GAO reporting. It also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report annually on maternity care coordination and support through fiscal year 2031.

The bill invests in maternal health workforce capacity by directing HHS guidance to states, providers, managed care entities, and insurers; creating perinatal workforce grants; creating perinatal nursing workforce grants; and requiring GAO to study barriers to maternal health education and professional training. It strengthens maternal mortality review committees, data collection, quality measures, American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health research, minority-serving institution research, maternal mental health equity grants, and maternal mental and behavioral health workforce grants.

The bill also addresses specific care settings and delivery models. It requires states receiving certain federal criminal justice grants to report on shackling policies for pregnant people, directs the Bureau of Prisons to create prenatal and postpartum model programs, creates grants for state and local prisons and jails, and requires a GAO report on incarcerated maternal and infant outcomes. It adds maternity telehealth models to CMMI, funds technology-enabled collaborative learning models, funds digital tools for maternal health equity, requires a National Academies report on technology in maternity care, and creates a perinatal alternative payment model demonstration for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

For emergencies and climate risk, the bill funds maternal-health data collection, surveillance, and research during public health emergencies; requires CDC and CMS emergency data disclosure; requires CDC maternal-care communication campaigns; creates an emergency birthing experience task force; funds climate risk grants for vulnerable mothers and babies; funds climate-change education at health profession schools; creates an NIH birth and climate research consortium; requires CDC to identify climate risk zones; continues NIH's IMPROVE maternal health initiative; and adds pregnant and postpartum people to federal vaccination awareness campaigns.

Who Benefits and How

Pregnant people, postpartum people, WIC participants, Black mothers, Native mothers, rural mothers, veterans receiving VA maternity care, incarcerated pregnant people, people with maternal mental health needs, and communities facing climate or emergency-related maternal health risks benefit from expanded eligibility, grant-funded services, better data, respectful care, telehealth, payment innovation, and targeted public health campaigns. Community-based maternal health organizations, minority-serving institutions, schools of nursing, perinatal workforce programs, hospitals, maternity care settings, state prisons, local jails, and health profession schools benefit from new grant opportunities. HHS, CDC, CMS, NIH, SAMHSA, VA, the Bureau of Prisons, GAO, and the National Academies receive new mandates to study, coordinate, measure, report, or administer maternal health programs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS must convene task forces, issue guidance, award many new grants, monitor grant performance, coordinate agencies, and report on maternal health outcomes. CDC, CMS, NIH, SAMHSA, VA, BOP, GAO, and the National Academies must build new data, research, reporting, education, or demonstration-project workflows. States receiving certain criminal justice grants must report on shackling policies. Maternity care settings receiving respectful-care or compliance grants must train staff, implement bias-reduction programs, and operate accountability systems. State prisons and local jails seeking maternal health grants must adopt or expand prenatal and postpartum care programs. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the bill's new authorizations and grant streams.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes an HHS task force on the U.S. maternal health crisis and funds grants addressing social determinants of maternal health.
  • Extends WIC postpartum eligibility for new mothers from 6 months to 24 months.
  • Creates grants for community-based maternal health equity organizations, respectful maternity care training, perinatal workforce development, and perinatal nursing workforce development.
  • Requires maternal mortality review committee funding, maternal-health data quality reviews, American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health studies, minority-serving institution research, and NIH IMPROVE Initiative work.
  • Creates maternal mental health equity grants and maternal mental and behavioral health workforce grants.
  • Requires reports and programs addressing pregnant people in federal, state, and local custody, including anti-shackling policy reporting and prison and jail maternal health grants.
  • Creates telehealth, digital tool, collaborative learning, and alternative payment model demonstrations for maternity care.
  • Funds public-health-emergency maternal data, climate-risk grants, climate education, climate research, climate risk-zone mapping, and maternal vaccination campaigns.

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

The Momnibus Act creates grants, studies, data systems, workforce programs, care standards, payment models, and public-health initiatives to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, especially for communities experiencing racial, geographic, incarceration, veteran, climate, and emergency-related disparities.

Key Policy Areas

Healthcare, Social Welfare, Civil Rights, Criminal Justice, Environment

Primary Purpose

The Momnibus Act creates grants, studies, data systems, workforce programs, care standards, payment models, and public-health initiatives to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, especially for communities experiencing racial, geographic, incarceration, veteran, climate, and emergency-related disparities.

Policy Domains

Healthcare Social Welfare Civil Rights Criminal Justice Environment

Maternal Health Equity, Social Determinants, WIC, and Respectful Care

Identified Gains
  • Postpartum WIC participants
  • Community-based maternal health organizations
  • Pregnant people receiving respectful maternity care
  • Maternity care patients facing bias
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Postpartum WIC participants:
Maternity care patients facing bias: , ,
Community-based maternal health organizations:
Pregnant people receiving respectful maternity care: , ,
Identified Costs
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • State WIC agencies
  • Maternity care settings receiving compliance grants
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
State WIC agencies:
Department of Health and Human Services: , , ,
Maternity care settings receiving compliance grants:

Workforce, Data, Review Committees, and Research

Identified Gains
  • Perinatal workforce trainees
  • Schools of nursing
  • Maternal mortality review committees
  • Minority-serving institutions
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Schools of nursing: ,
Perinatal workforce trainees: ,
Minority-serving institutions:
Maternal mortality review committees: ,
Identified Costs
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • National Institutes of Health
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
National Institutes of Health: ,
Department of Health and Human Services: , ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

Public Health Emergencies, Climate Risk, IMPROVE, and Vaccination

Identified Gains
  • Pregnant people during public health emergencies
  • Postpartum people during public health emergencies
  • Vulnerable mothers in climate risk zones
  • Pregnant people targeted by vaccination campaigns
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Vulnerable mothers in climate risk zones: ,
Pregnant people during public health emergencies: , , ,
Pregnant people targeted by vaccination campaigns:
Postpartum people during public health emergencies: , , ,
Identified Costs
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Health profession schools receiving climate education grants
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
National Institutes of Health:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: , , ,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:
Health profession schools receiving climate education grants:

Maternal Mental Health, Incarceration, Telehealth, Technology, and Payment

Identified Gains
  • Pregnant people with mental health needs
  • Incarcerated pregnant people
  • Maternity care telehealth patients
  • Perinatal alternative payment participants
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Incarcerated pregnant people: , ,
Maternity care telehealth patients: , ,
Pregnant people with mental health needs: , ,
Perinatal alternative payment participants:
Identified Costs
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • Bureau of Prisons
  • State prisons seeking maternal health grants
  • Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Bureau of Prisons:
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation: ,
State prisons seeking maternal health grants:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:

Legislative Progress

In Committee
Introduced Committee Passed
Apr 20, 2026

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Mar 18, 2026

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in …

Mar 18, 2026

Introduced in House

Mar 18, 2026

Ms. Underwood (for herself, Ms. Adams, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Amo, …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Healthcare
62 mentions across 33 clauses
+49 positive -3 negative ~9 mixed ?1 uncertain

Accredited hospitals providing maternity care, Alaska Native pregnant people, American Indian pregnant people

Positive-direction: Alaska Native pregnant people, American Indian pregnant people, Behavioral health care trainees in maternity care, Birth outcomes researchers, Climate maternal health grantees, Communities experiencing maternal health disparities, Community representatives in maternal mortality reviews, Community-based maternal health organizations, Eligible telehealth capacity grantees, Families affected by maternal deaths, Maternal behavioral health workforce programs, Maternal health emergency researchers, Maternal health research grantees, Maternal health research institutions, Maternal mental health care providers, Maternal mental health trainees, Maternity care clinicians using remote learning models, Maternity care patients facing discrimination, Maternity care patients needing nursing access, Maternity care providers during emergencies, Maternity care telehealth providers, Medicaid maternity care patients, Patients in maternity care settings, Perinatal nursing students, Perinatal nursing workforce trainees, Perinatal support service providers, Perinatal workforce grantees, Perinatal workforce trainees from underrepresented groups, Perinatal workforce training programs, Postpartum people targeted by vaccination campaigns, Postpartum people with behavioral health needs, Pregnant patients experiencing bias, Pregnant patients needing behavioral health care, Pregnant people affected by adverse outcomes, Pregnant people affected by maternal mortality, Pregnant people during public health emergencies, Pregnant people facing social risk factors, Pregnant people giving birth during emergencies, Pregnant people in payment demonstration sites, Pregnant people in underserved communities, Pregnant people needing culturally congruent care, Pregnant people served by telehealth models, Pregnant people targeted by vaccination campaigns, Pregnant people using digital maternal health tools, Pregnant people with mental health needs, Public health researchers using maternal emergency data, Rural maternity care providers, Technology-enabled maternal care networks

Negative-direction: Maternal mortality review committees collecting data, Maternity care compliance program staff, Maternity care employees receiving respectful care training

Government
46 mentions across 38 clauses
+7 positive -38 negative ~1 mixed

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality analysts, Attorney General grant administrators, Bureau of Prisons health services staff

Positive-direction: Congressional health workforce committees, Congressional justice oversight committees, Congressional maternal health oversight committees, Congressional veterans affairs committees, Local public health agencies using climate risk maps, National Institutes of Health IMPROVE Initiative, State WIC agencies

Negative-direction: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality analysts, Attorney General grant administrators, Bureau of Prisons health services staff, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention climate mapping staff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention communications staff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data systems, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency data staff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention review program staff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination campaign staff, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services emergency data staff, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality measure staff, Department of Health and Human Services grant administrators, Department of Health and Human Services maternal health officials, Department of Health and Human Services study sponsors, Department of Health and Human Services workforce grant staff, Department of Veterans Affairs maternity care coordinators, Federal agencies participating in maternal health coordination, Government Accountability Office criminal justice health analysts, Government Accountability Office health workforce analysts, Government Accountability Office maternal health analysts, HHS behavioral workforce grant staff, HHS climate education grant staff, HHS climate health grant administrators, HHS digital equity grant administrators, HHS emergency maternal data programs, HHS emergency maternity care task force, HHS maternity technology policy staff, HHS nursing workforce grant staff, HHS perinatal workforce program administrators, HHS research grant administrators, HHS telehealth grant administrators, HHS tribal maternal health researchers, National Institutes of Health climate birth researchers, State Medicaid agencies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Law Enforcement
9 mentions across 4 clauses
+5 positive -2 negative ~2 mixed

Incarcerated postpartum people, Incarcerated pregnant people, Local jails seeking maternal health grants

Positive-direction: Incarcerated postpartum people, Incarcerated pregnant people, Postpartum people in federal custody, Pregnant people in federal custody, Pregnant people in local jails

Negative-direction: State correctional agencies, States receiving Omnibus crime control grants

Education
7 mentions across 5 clauses
+6 positive ~1 mixed

Health profession schools teaching climate maternity risks, Health profession students learning climate maternity care, Maternal health educators

Environment
4 mentions across 3 clauses
+4 positive

Infants exposed to climate health risks, Pregnant people exposed to climate risks, Vulnerable mothers in climate risk zones

Social Welfare
3 mentions across 2 clauses
+3 positive

Federal WIC food assistance spending, Maternal health social service providers, Postpartum WIC participants

Professional Services
2 mentions across 2 clauses
+2 positive

National Academies maternal health reviewers, National Academies technology reviewers

Veterans
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Pregnant veterans receiving VA maternity care

46/51
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Healthcare Social Welfare Civil Rights
Actor Mappings
"secretary"
→ Secretary of Health and Human Services
"task_force"
→ Maternal health crisis task force
"eligible_entity"
→ State, local, tribal, community-based, or health care entity eligible for maternal health grants
Domains
Healthcare Civil Rights Education
Actor Mappings
"secretary"
→ Secretary of Health and Human Services
"cdc_director"
→ Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"nih_director"
→ Director of the National Institutes of Health
"cms_administrator"
→ Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Domains
Healthcare Criminal Justice Technology Finance
Actor Mappings
"cmmi"
→ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
"bop_director"
→ Director of the Bureau of Prisons
"attorney_general"
→ Attorney General
"samhsa_assistant_secretary"
→ Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Domains
Healthcare Environment Emergency Management
Actor Mappings
"secretary"
→ Secretary of Health and Human Services
"cdc_director"
→ Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"nih_director"
→ Director of the National Institutes of Health
"health_profession_school"
→ Health profession school receiving climate education grants

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

4 terms
"public health emergency" §1102

A declared public health emergency used as the trigger for emergency maternal health data and research authorities.

"maternal mortality" §3(maternal_mortality)

Death of a pregnant or postpartum individual from causes related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management.

"culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care" §3(culturally_congruent)

Maternity care aligned with the patient's preferred cultural values, beliefs, worldview, language, and practices.

"severe maternal morbidity" §3(severe_maternal_morbidity)

Unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short-term or long-term health consequences.

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology