Momnibus Act

The Momnibus Act seeks to comprehensively address and eliminate preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health disparities across the United States. It establishes a **Task Force** to coordinate federal efforts and provides **sustained funding** through grants to eligible entities to tackle social determinants of maternal health, such as housing, transportation, and nutrition, prioritizing areas with high rates of adverse outcomes and poverty. The bill extends **WIC eligibility** for postpartum individuals and breastfeeding mothers to 24 months, recognizing the importance of sustained nutritional support. To advance maternal health equity, it authorizes grants for **community-based organizations**, particularly those serving demographic groups with elevated rates of adverse outcomes, and mandates **respectful maternity care training** for all employees in maternity settings to reduce bias, racism, and discrimination. Significant attention is given to the **perinatal workforce**, with grants to grow and diversify professionals like physician assistants, perinatal health workers, midwives, and nurses, emphasizing recruitment from diverse backgrounds and practice in underserved areas. It also supports **maternity health care for veterans** through Department of Veterans Affairs programs and annual reporting on outcomes. Improving **data collection** is a core component, with funding for Maternal Mortality Review Committees to enhance community engagement and expand their review to include severe maternal morbidity and mental health-related deaths. The bill also mandates a review of maternal health data collection processes and quality measures, and funds studies on maternal health among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals and at Minority-Serving Institutions. Maternal mental health is addressed through a **maternal mental health equity grant program** and grants to expand the mental and behavioral health care workforce, focusing on high-need populations. For **incarcerated individuals**, the bill penalizes states that shackle pregnant individuals, establishes model care programs in federal facilities, and creates a grant program for states to improve maternal health outcomes in prisons and jails. The legislation promotes **technology to save moms** by allowing Medicaid waivers for telehealth tools and providing grants to expand technology-enabled collaborative learning models and digital tools for maternal health equity. It also establishes a **Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project** to test innovative payment models under Medicaid and CHIP, aiming to improve outcomes and reduce disparities. In response to public health emergencies, the bill authorizes **funding for data collection, surveillance, and research** on maternal health outcomes, ensuring public availability of disaggregated data. It also establishes a **task force on birthing experience and respectful maternity care** during such emergencies. Finally, the bill addresses the impact of **climate change** on maternal and infant health through grants for protection, education in health profession schools, NIH research, and a strategy for identifying climate change risk zones, alongside an **NIH IMPROVE Initiative** and a **maternal vaccination awareness and equity campaign**.