[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 958 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 958
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 13, 2021
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To codify maternity care coordination programs at the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Moms Who Served Act''.
SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR MATERNITY CARE COORDINATION.
(a) Program on Maternity Care Coordination.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
carry out the maternity care coordination program described in
Veterans Health Administration Handbook 1330.03, or any
successor handbook.
(2) Training and support.--In carrying out the program
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide to community
maternity care providers training and support with respect to
the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum veterans,
particularly regarding mental and behavioral health conditions
relating to the service of the veterans in the Armed Forces.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the
maternity care coordination program. Such amounts are authorized in
addition to any other amounts authorized for such purpose.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``community maternity care providers'' means
maternity care providers located at non-Department facilities
who provide maternity care to veterans under section 1703 of
title 38, United States Code, or other provisions of law
administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The term ``non-Department facilities'' has the meaning
given that term in section 1701 of title 38, United States
Code.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON MATERNAL MORTALITY AND SEVERE MATERNAL MORBIDITY
AMONG PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM VETERANS.
(a) GAO Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report on
maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and
postpartum veterans, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic
disparities in maternal health outcomes for veterans.
(b) Matters Included.--The report under subsection (a) shall
include the following:
(1) To the extent practicable--
(A) the number of pregnant and postpartum veterans
who have experienced a pregnancy-related death or
pregnancy-associated death in the most recent 10 years
of available data;
(B) the rate of pregnancy-related deaths per
100,000 live births for pregnant and postpartum
veterans;
(C) the number of cases of severe maternal
morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans in the
most recent year of available data;
(D) the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal
mortality and severe maternal morbidity rates among
pregnant and postpartum veterans;
(E) identification of the causes of maternal
mortality and severe maternal morbidity that are unique
to veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder,
military sexual trauma, and infertility or miscarriages
that may be caused by such service;
(F) identification of the causes of maternal
mortality and severe maternal morbidity that are unique
to veterans from racial and ethnic minority groups and
other at-risk populations as deemed appropriate;
(G) identification of any correlations between the
former rank of veterans and their maternal health
outcomes;
(H) the number of veterans who have been diagnosed
with infertility by Veterans Health Administration
providers each year in the most recent 5 years,
disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, sex, marital
status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and
geographical location;
(I) the number of veterans who receive a clinical
diagnosis of unexplained infertility by Veterans Health
Administration providers each year in the most recent 5
years; and
(J) the extent to which the rate of incidence of
clinically diagnosed infertility among veterans compare
or differ to the rate of incidence of clinically
diagnosed infertility among the civilian population.
(2) An assessment of the barriers to determining the
information required under paragraph (1) and recommendations
for improvements in tracking maternal health outcomes among
pregnant and postpartum veterans--
(A) who have health care coverage through the
Department;
(B) enrolled in the TRICARE program;
(C) who are eligible to use the Indian Health
Service, Tribal health programs, or urban Indian health
organizations;
(D) with employer-based or private insurance;
(E) enrolled in the Medicaid program; and
(F) who are uninsured.
(3) Recommendations for legislative and administrative
actions to increase access to mental and behavioral health care
for pregnant and postpartum veterans who screen positively for
maternal mental or behavioral health conditions.
(4) Recommendations to address homelessness, food
insecurity, poverty, and related issues among pregnant and
postpartum veterans.
(5) Recommendations on how to effectively educate maternity
care providers on best practices for providing maternity care
services to veterans that addresses the unique maternal health
care needs of the veteran population.
(6) Recommendations to reduce maternal mortality and severe
maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans and
to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health
outcomes for each of the groups described in subparagraphs (A)
through (E) of paragraph (2).
(7) Recommendations to improve coordination of care between
the Department and non-Department facilities for pregnant and
postpartum veterans, including recommendations to improve--
(A) health record interoperability; and
(B) training for the directors of the Veterans
Integrated Service Networks, directors of medical
facilities of the Department, chiefs of staff of such
facilities, maternity care coordinators, and staff of
relevant non-Department facilities.
(8) An assessment of the authority of the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to access maternal health data collected by
the Department of Health and Human Services and, if applicable,
recommendations to increase such authority.
(9) To the extent applicable, an assessment of potential
causes of or explanations for lower maternal mortality rates
among veterans who have health coverage through the Department
of Veterans Affairs compared to maternal mortality rates in the
general United States population.
(10) Any other information the Comptroller General
determines appropriate with respect to the reduction of
maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant
and postpartum veterans and to address racial and ethnic
disparities in maternal health outcomes for veterans.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Maternal mortality.--The term ``maternal mortality''
means a death occurring during or within a 1-year period after
pregnancy, caused by pregnancy-related or childbirth
complications, including a suicide, overdose, or other death
resulting from a mental health or substance use disorder
attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy-related or childbirth
complications.
(2) Postpartum and postpartum period.--The terms
``postpartum'' and ``postpartum period'' refer to the 1-year
period beginning on the last day of the pregnancy of an
individual.
(3) Pregnancy-associated death.--The term ``pregnancy-
associated death'' means a death of a pregnant or postpartum
individual, by any cause, that occurs during, or within 1 year
following, the individual's pregnancy, regardless of the
outcome, duration, or site of the pregnancy.
(4) Pregnancy-related death.--The term ``pregnancy-related
death'' means a death of a pregnant or postpartum individual
that occurs during, or within 1 year following, the
individual's pregnancy, from a pregnancy complication, a chain
of events initiated by pregnancy, or the aggravation of an
unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.
(5) Racial and ethnic minority group.--The term ``racial
and ethnic minority group'' has the meaning given such term in
section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u-6(g)(1)).
(6) Severe maternal morbidity.--The term ``severe maternal
morbidity'' means a health condition, including mental health
conditions and substance use disorders, attributed to or
aggravated by pregnancy or childbirth that results in
significant
short-term or long-term consequences to the health of the
individual who was pregnant.
Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 2021.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.