This legislation establishes a U.S. policy to significantly reduce global maternal and child deaths by strategically supporting partner countries in maternal and child survival and health programs. It aims to reduce preventable child and maternal mortality to 12 percent or lower by 2030 in priority countries and increase coverage of life-saving interventions to at least 70 percent by 2030 in 10 to 15 priority countries. These investments are deemed crucial for advancing U.S. foreign policy, national security, and economic interests by promoting stability and improved diplomatic relations. A central provision of the bill is to prioritize scaling up investments in the procurement and delivery of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) prenatal vitamins, recognizing their high cost-effectiveness in improving birth outcomes and reducing maternal anemia. The relevant foreign assistance agency is directed to select priority countries based on factors like the prevalence of malnourished women and children, and the presence of high-need communities. This agency will also establish and publish a 5-year Maternal and Child Health strategy with specific targets for increasing coverage of priority interventions, including skilled care, immunization, and treatments for childhood diseases. To ensure accountability and transparency, the bill requires the relevant foreign assistance agency to submit annual reports to Congress for five years, detailing progress made towards scaling up MMS coverage and overall maternal and child health intervention progress. These reports must include funding allocations, performance indicators, and identified constraints or lessons learned. The legislation authorizes up to $150,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 from the Global Health Programs Account to carry out the MMS scale-up initiative.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
International Affairs
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-9583| House
| Updated: 7/2/2026
This legislation establishes a U.S. policy to significantly reduce global maternal and child deaths by strategically supporting partner countries in maternal and child survival and health programs. It aims to reduce preventable child and maternal mortality to 12 percent or lower by 2030 in priority countries and increase coverage of life-saving interventions to at least 70 percent by 2030 in 10 to 15 priority countries. These investments are deemed crucial for advancing U.S. foreign policy, national security, and economic interests by promoting stability and improved diplomatic relations. A central provision of the bill is to prioritize scaling up investments in the procurement and delivery of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) prenatal vitamins, recognizing their high cost-effectiveness in improving birth outcomes and reducing maternal anemia. The relevant foreign assistance agency is directed to select priority countries based on factors like the prevalence of malnourished women and children, and the presence of high-need communities. This agency will also establish and publish a 5-year Maternal and Child Health strategy with specific targets for increasing coverage of priority interventions, including skilled care, immunization, and treatments for childhood diseases. To ensure accountability and transparency, the bill requires the relevant foreign assistance agency to submit annual reports to Congress for five years, detailing progress made towards scaling up MMS coverage and overall maternal and child health intervention progress. These reports must include funding allocations, performance indicators, and identified constraints or lessons learned. The legislation authorizes up to $150,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 from the Global Health Programs Account to carry out the MMS scale-up initiative.