Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act of 2020
This bill addresses maternal health during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency by supporting data collection, development of COVID-19 therapeutics and workplace protections, and other activities.
Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance for states and local health departments on collecting data on pregnancy and postpartum status in conjunction with COVID-19 tests. In addition, the bill provides funds for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand particular maternal health surveillance programs. The CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must also publish pregnancy and postpartum data related to COVID-19, and the CDC and the Indian Health Service must consult with tribes about collecting this data for tribal populations.
Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration must collect information about the effects of COVID-19 therapeutics on pregnant and postpartum individuals. The NIH must also ensure that at least one vaccine will be suitable for that population and must support related research.
In addition, the Department of Labor must implement an emergency temporary standard to protect employees from workplace exposures to the virus that causes COVID-19 that specifically addresses pregnant and postpartum individuals. Certain regulatory requirements shall not apply in developing this standard.
The CDC must also carry out an education campaign about pregnancy and COVID-19 and must establish a task force that addresses maternity care during the COVID-19 emergency.
Furthermore, the Government Accountability Office must report on maternal health and public health emergency preparedness.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4769 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4769
To improve the public health response to addressing maternal mortality
and morbidity during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2020
Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Booker, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Gillibrand, and
Ms. Smith) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the public health response to addressing maternal mortality
and morbidity during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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 ``Maternal Health Pandemic Response
Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a
``Public Health Emergency of International Concern'' on January
30, 2020. By the beginning of August 2020, there have been over
18,000,000 confirmed cases of, and over 700,000 deaths
associated with, COVID-19 worldwide.
(2) In the United States, the number of cases of COVID-19
has quickly surpassed the number of such cases in every other
nation, and as of August 5, 2020, over 4,000,000 cases and
156,000 deaths have been reported by the United States alone.
(3) Longstanding systemic health and social inequities have
put communities of color at increased risk of contracting
COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness; age-adjusted
hospitalization rates from COVID-19 are highest for American
Indian and Alaska Native, Black, and Latinx people.
(4) Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United
States was facing a maternal mortality and morbidity crisis, in
which the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate
in the developed world, and that rate is not improving.
(5) More than 50,000 women in the United States annually
experience severe maternal morbidity, and much larger numbers
experience more common harmful challenges, such as prenatal and
postpartum anxiety and depression and lack of support for
meeting breastfeeding goals.
(6) Compared to White women, Black and American Indian and
Alaska Native women in the United States are significantly more
likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, and Black
and American Indian and Alaska Native women suffer
disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity.
(7) The causes of maternal mortality and morbidity are
complex and include racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic
inequities; racism, bias, and discrimination; comorbidities;
and inadequate access to the health care system, including
behavioral health care, which are factors that have similarly
contributed to the racial disparities seen in COVID-19
outcomes.
(8) The burden of morbidity and mortality in the United
States for both COVID-19 and maternal health outcomes has also
fallen disproportionately on Black, Latinx, and American Indian
and Alaska Native communities, who suffer the most from great
public health needs and are the most medically underserved.
(9) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, ``pregnant people have changes in their bodies that
may increase their risk of some infections'' and ``pregnant
people have had a higher risk of severe illness when infected
with viruses from the same family as COVID-19 and other viral
respiratory infections, such as influenza''.
(10) As of June 25, 2020, the latest information from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that
pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized and are at
higher risk for intensive care unit admissions than nonpregnant
women due to COVID-19, and Latinx and Black pregnant people
have been disproportionately infected by COVID-19.
(11) Our understanding of the specific impact of COVID-19
on pregnant people is limited, in part due to a lack of robust
data collection, but the COVID-19 pandemic has further strained
the health care system and added another layer of fear and
vulnerability for pregnant people, with disproportionate
effects on people of color.
(12) As of July 30, 2020, over 14,000 pregnant people in
the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 and 35
pregnant people have died as a result of COVID-19.
(13) The World Health Organization states that everyone
``has the right to safe and positive childbirth experience,
whether or not they have a confirmed COVID-19 infection, this
includes the right to respect and dignity, a companion of
choice, clear communication by maternity staff, pain relief
strategies, and mobility in labor when possible and the
position of choice''.
(14) A COVID-19 public health response without concerted
Federal action and focus on maternal health care access and
quality, research, data collection, mitigating negative
socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic, and safeguarding
the right to safe and positive childbirth experience will risk
exacerbating the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) COVID-19 public health emergency.--The term ``COVID-19
public health emergency'' means the period beginning on the
date that the public health emergency declared by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with
respect to COVID-19 took effect, and ending on the later of the
end of such public health emergency or January 1, 2023.
(2) Culturally congruent.--The term ``culturally
congruent'', with respect to care or maternity care, means care
that is anti-racist and is in agreement with the preferred
cultural values, beliefs, worldview, and practices of the
health care consumer and other stakeholders.
(3) Indian tribe, tribal organization, and urban indian
organization.--The terms ``Indian Tribe'' and ``Tribal
organization'' have the meanings given the terms ``Indian
tribe'' and ``tribal organization'', respectively, in section 4
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 5304), and the term ``urban Indian organization''
has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
(4) Maternal mortality.--The term ``maternal mortality''
means a death occurring during pregnancy or within one year of
the end of 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) Postpartum.--The term ``postpartum'' means the 1-year
period beginning on the last day of a person's pregnancy.
(6) Respectful maternity care.--The term ``respectful
maternity care'' refers to care organized for, and provided to,
all pregnant and postpartum people in a manner that is
culturally congruent, maintains their dignity, privacy, and
confidentiality, ensures freedom from harm and mistreatment,
and enables informed choice and continuous support during
labor, childbirth, and postpartum.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(8) Severe maternal morbidity.--The term ``severe maternal
morbidity'' means an unexpected outcome caused by labor and
delivery that results in significant short-term or long-term
consequences to the health of the pregnant person.
SEC. 4. EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR FEDERAL DATA COLLECTION, SURVEILLANCE,
AND RESEARCH ON MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES DURING THE
COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
To conduct or support data collection, surveillance, and research
on maternal health as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency,
including support to assist in the capacity building for State, Tribal,
territorial, and local public health departments to collect and
transmit racial, ethnic, and other demographic data related to maternal
health, there are authorized to be appropriated--
(1) $100,000,000 for the Surveillance for Emerging Threats
to Mothers and Babies program of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, to support the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in its efforts to--
(A) work with public health, clinical, and
community-based organizations to provide timely,
continually updated guidance to families and health
care providers on ways to reduce risk to mothers and
babies and tailor interventions to improve their long-
term health;
(B) partner with more State, Tribal, territorial,
and local public health programs in the collection and
analysis of clinical data on the impact of COVID-19 on
pregnant and postpartum patients and their newborns,
including among pregnant people of color; and
(C) establish regionally based centers of
excellence to offer medical, public health, and other
knowledge to ensure communities, especially communities
of color, can help pregnant and postpartum patients and
infants get the care they need;
(2) $30,000,000 for the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance
to Eliminate Maternal Mortality program (commonly known as the
``ERASE MM program'') of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, to support the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in expanding its partnerships with States and Indian
Tribes and provide technical assistance to existing Maternal
Mortality Review Committees; and
(3) $45,000,000 for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System (commonly known as the ``PRAMS'') of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to support the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its efforts to--
(A) create a COVID-19 supplement to its PRAMS
questionnaire;
(B) add questions around experiences of respectful
maternity care in prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum
care;
(C) conduct a rapid assessment of COVID-19
awareness, impact on care and experiences, and use of
preventive measures among pregnant, laboring and
birthing, and postpartum people during the COVID-19
public health emergency; and
(D) work to transition the survey to an electronic
platform and expand the survey to a larger population,
with a special focus on reaching underrepresented
communities;
(4) $15,000,000 for the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development, to conduct or support research for
interventions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 public
health emergency on pregnant and postpartum people, including
Black, Latinx, Asian-American and Pacific Islander, and
American Indian and Alaska Native people.
SEC. 5. COVID-19 MATERNAL HEALTH DATA COLLECTION AND DISCLOSURE.
(a) Data Collection.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administrator of
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall make publicly
available, on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, pregnancy and postpartum data collected across all
surveillance systems relating to COVID-19, disaggregated by race,
ethnicity, State, and Tribal location including the following:
(1) Data related to all COVID-19 diagnostic testing,
including the number of pregnant people and postpartum people
tested and the number of positive cases.
(2) Data related to all suspected cases of COVID-19 in
pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people who did not undergo
testing.
(3) Data related to all COVID-19 serologic testing,
including the number of pregnant and postpartum people tested
and the number of such serologic tests that were positive.
(4) Data related to treatment for COVID-19, including
hospitalizations, emergency room, and intensive care unit
admissions of pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people related
to COVID-19.
(5) Data related to COVID-19 outcomes, including total
fatalities and case fatality (expressed as the proportion of
people who were infected with COVID-19 and died from the virus)
of pregnant and postpartum people.
(6) Data related to pregnancy and infant health outcomes
for pregnant people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, which
may include stillbirths, maternal mortality and morbidity,
infant mortality, preterm births, low-birth weight infants, and
cesarean section births.
(b) Timeline.--The Secretary shall update the data made available
under this section not less frequently than monthly, during the COVID-
19 public health emergency and for at least one month after the end of
the COVID-19 public health emergency.
(c) Privacy.--In publishing data under this section, the Secretary
shall take all necessary steps to protect the privacy of people whose
information is included in such data, including by complying with--
(1) privacy protections under the regulations promulgated
under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note); and
(2) protections from all inappropriate internal use by an
entity that collects, stores, or receives the data, including
use of such data in determinations of eligibility (or continued
eligibility) in health plans, and from inappropriate uses.
(d) Indian Health Service.--The Director of the Indian Health
Service and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
shall consult with Indian Tribes and confer with urban Indian
organizations on data collection and reporting for purposes of this
section.
(e) Data Collection Guidance.--The Secretary shall issue guidance
to States and local public health departments to ensure that all
relevant demographic data, including pregnancy and postpartum status,
are collected and included when sending COVID-19 testing specimen to
laboratories, and State and local health departments and Indian Tribes
are disaggregating data on COVID-19 status in data on maternal and
infant morbidity and mortality. The Secretary shall ensure that the
guidance is developed in consultation with Indian Tribes to ensure that
it includes tribally developed best practices on reducing
misclassification of American Indian and Alaska Native people in
Federal, State, and local public health surveillance systems.
SEC. 6. INCLUSION OF PREGNANT PEOPLE AND LACTATING PEOPLE IN VACCINE
AND THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT FOR COVID-19.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institutes of Health
shall--
(1) support and advance the responsible inclusion of
pregnant and lactating people in COVID-19 therapeutic and
vaccine clinical trials when safe and appropriate;
(2) prioritize the implementation of final recommendations
made by the Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women
and Lactating Women to improve the inclusion of pregnant and
lactating people in clinical research when safe and
appropriate, particularly as these recommendations apply to the
development and issuance of safe and effective COVID-19
therapeutics and vaccines; and
(3) ensure that at least one COVID-19 vaccine developed and
made available for use in the United States is suitable for
pregnant people and lactating people.
(b) Requirements.--
(1) Reporting requirements.--The Director of the National
Institutes of Health shall collect information from every
developer of a drug or biological product for the treatment or
prevention of COVID-19 in the clinical stages of development
that received Federal funding from the Department of Health and
Human Services and its subagencies regarding--
(A) how evidence is being generated to evaluate the
safety, efficacy, and appropriate dosing of the drug or
biological product among pregnant people and lactating
people;
(B) plans for the systematic collection of data
from people who are inadvertently exposed to the drug
or biological product while pregnant or lactating;
(C) plans for the inclusion of pregnant people and
lactating people, including racial and ethnic
minorities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, in
clinical trials or the rationale for exclusion; and
(D) plans for performing Developmental and
Reproductive Toxicology studies, or the rationale for
not performing such studies.
(2) Drug approvals and biological product licensing.--The
Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall require a drug or
biological product developer submit, as part of an application
for approval of a drug under section 505 of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355) or licensing of a
biological product under section 351 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262) for the treatment or prevention of
COVID-19--
(A) an adequate representation of the effect of the
drug or biological product on pregnant people and
lactating people, either through the inclusion of
pregnant people and lactating people in clinical trials
when safe and appropriate or other research, or through
a scientific and ethical justification as to why
pregnant people or lactating people were not included
in clinical trials; and
(B) a comprehensive plan for the collection of
additional evidence of safety and efficacy for pregnant
and lactating people after approval under such section
505 or licensure under such section 351, or after
issuance of an emergency use authorization under
section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3).
SEC. 7. PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION REGARDING MATERNAL CARE DURING
COVID-19.
(a) Public Health Campaign.--The Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention shall undertake a robust public health
education effort to enhance access by pregnant people, their employers,
and their providers to accurate, evidence-based health information
about COVID-19 and pregnancy, safety, and risk, with a particular focus
on reaching pregnant people in underserved communities.
(b) Emergency Temporary Standard.--
(1) In general.--In consideration of the grave risk
presented by COVID-19 and the need to strengthen protections
for employees, pursuant to section 6(c)(1) of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655(c)(1)) and
notwithstanding the provisions of law and the Executive order
listed in paragraph (3), not later than 7 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall
promulgate an emergency temporary standard to protect all
employees at occupational risk from occupational exposure to
SARS-CoV-2.
(2) Pregnant and postpartum employees.--The emergency
temporary standard promulgated under this subsection shall
include consideration of the risks and needs specific to
pregnant and postpartum employees.
(3) Inapplicable provisions of law and executive order.--
The requirements of chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code
(commonly referred to as the ``Regulatory Flexibility Act''),
subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code
(commonly referred to as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act''), the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.),
and Executive Order 12866 (58 Fed. Reg. 190; relating to
regulatory planning and review), as amended, shall not apply to
the standard promulgated under this subsection.
(c) Task Force on Birthing Experience and Safe, Respectful
Maternity Care in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall convene a task force to develop Federal
recommendations regarding respectful maternity care, including
safe birth care and postpartum care, during the COVID-19 public
health emergency.
(2) Duties.--The task force established under paragraph (1)
shall develop, publicly post, and update Federal
recommendations in multiple languages to ensure quality,
provide nondiscriminatory maternity care, promote positive
birthing experiences, and improve maternal health outcomes
during the COVID-19 public health emergency, with a particular
focus on outcomes for communities of color and rural
populations. Such guidelines and recommendations shall--
(A) address, with particular attention to ensuring
equitable treatment on the basis of race and
ethnicity--
(i) measures to facilitate respectful
maternity care;
(ii) strategies to increase access to
specialized care for those with high-risk
pregnancies or pregnant individuals with
elevated risk factors;
(iii) COVID-19 diagnostic testing for
pregnant and laboring patients;
(iv) birthing without one's chosen
companions, with one's chosen companions, and
with smartphone or other telehealth connection
to one's chosen companions;
(v) newborn separation after birth in
relation to maternal COVID-19 status;
(vi) breast milk feeding in relation to
maternal COVID-19 status;
(vii) licensure, training, scope of
practice, and Medicaid and other insurance
reimbursement for certified midwives, certified
nurse-midwives, certified professional
midwives, in a manner that facilitates
inclusion of midwives of color and midwives
from underserved communities;
(viii) financial support for perinatal
health workers who provide non-clinical support
to people from pregnancy through the postpartum
period, such as a doula, community health
worker, peer supporter, lactation consultant,
nutritionist or dietitian, social worker, home
visitor, or a patient navigator in a manner
that facilitates inclusion from underserved
communities;
(ix) how to identify, address, and treat
prenatal and postpartum mental and behavioral
health conditions, such as anxiety, substance
use disorder, and depression, which may have
arisen or increased during the COVID-19 public
health emergency;
(x) strategies to address hospital capacity
concerns in communities with a surge in COVID-
19 cases and to provide childbearing people
with options that reduce potential for cross-
contamination and increase the ability to
implement their care preferences while
maintaining safety and quality, such as the use
of auxiliary maternity units and freestanding
birth centers;
(xi) how to identify and address racism,
bias, and discrimination in the delivery
treatment and support to pregnant and
postpartum people, including evaluating the
value of training for hospital staff on
implicit bias and racism, respectful maternity
care, and demographic data collection; and
(xii) such other matters as the task force
determines appropriate;
(B) identify barriers to the implementation of the
guidelines and recommendations;
(C) take into consideration existing State and
other programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in
addressing pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care during
the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
(D) identify policies specific to COVID-19 that
should be discontinued when safely possible and those
that should be continued as the public health emergency
abates.
(3) Membership.--The task force established under paragraph
(1) shall be comprised of--
(A) representatives of the Department of Health and
Human Services, including representatives of--
(i) the Secretary;
(ii) the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention;
(iii) the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration;
(iv) the Administrator of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services;
(v) the Director of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality; and
(vi) the Director of the Indian Health
Service;
(B) at least 3 State, local, or territorial public
health officials representing departments of public
health, who shall represent jurisdictions from
different regions of the United States with relatively
high concentrations of historically marginalized
populations, to be appointed by the Secretary;
(C) at least 1 Tribal public health official
representing departments of public health;
(D) 1 or more representatives of a community-based
organization that addresses adverse maternal health
outcomes with a specific focus on racial and ethnic
inequities in maternal health outcomes, appointed by
the Secretary, with special consideration given to
organizations led by a person of color or from
communities with significant minority populations;
(E) 1 or more obstetrician-gynecologist or other
physician who provides obstetric care, with special
consideration for physicians who are from, or work in,
communities experiencing the highest rates of COVID-19
mortality and morbidity;
(F) 1 or more nurse, such as a certified nurse-
midwife, women's health nurse practitioner, or other
nurse who provides obstetric care, with special
consideration for nurses who are from, or work in,
communities experiencing the highest rates of COVID-19
mortality and morbidity;
(G) 1 or more perinatal health workers who provide
non-clinical support to people from pregnancy through
postpartum period, such as a doula, community health
worker, peer supporter, lactation consultant,
nutritionist or dietitian, social worker, home visitor,
or patient navigator;
(H) 1 or more patients who were pregnant or gave
birth during the COVID-19 public health emergency;
(I) 1 or more patients who contracted COVID-19 and
later gave birth;
(J) 1 or more patients who have received support
from a perinatal health worker who provides prenatal
and postpartum support, such as a doula, community
health worker, peer supporter, lactation consultant,
nutritionist or dietitian, social worker, home visitor,
or a patient navigator, or a spouse or family member of
such patient; and
(K) racially and ethnically diverse representation
from at least 3 independent experts with knowledge or
field experience with racial and ethnic disparities in
public health, women's health, or maternal mortality
and severe maternal morbidity.
SEC. 8. GAO REPORT ON MATERNAL HEALTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS.
Not later than 1 year after the end of the public health emergency
declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section
319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31,
2020, with respect to COVID-19, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report
on maternal health and public health emergency preparedness, including
prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care during the COVID-19
public health emergency, including the following:
(1) A review of the prenatal, labor and delivery, and
postpartum experiences of people during the COVID-19 public
health emergency, which shall--
(A) identify barriers to accessing pregnancy,
birth, and postpartum care during a pandemic;
(B) assess the extent to which public and private
insurers were providing coverage for maternal health
care during the public health emergency, including for
telehealth services;
(C) to the extent practicable, analyze maternal and
infant health outcomes by race and ethnicity (including
quality of care, mortality, morbidity, cesarean section
rates, preterm birth, prevalence of prenatal and
postpartum anxiety and depression) during the COVID-19
public health emergency and the impact of Federal and
State policy changes made in response to the COVID-19
pandemic on such outcomes;
(D) identify contributors to population-based
disparities seen in COVID-19 outcomes, such as racial
profiling of, and bias and discrimination against
Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Latinx, and
Asian-American and Pacific Islander people; and
(E) review the impact of increased unemployment,
paid family leave, changes in health care coverage, and
other social determinants of health for pregnant and
postpartum people during the public health emergency.
(2) Consultation with maternity care providers, maternal
mental and behavioral health care specialists, researchers who
specialize in women's health or maternal mortality and severe
maternal morbidity, people who experienced pregnancy or
childbirth during the COVID-19 public health emergency,
representatives from community-based organizations that address
maternal health, and perinatal health workers who provide
nonclinical support to pregnant and postpartum people (such as
a doula, community health worker, peer support, certified
lactation consultant, nutritionist or dietician, social worker,
home visitor, or navigator).
(3) Recommendations to improve the public health emergency
response and preparedness efforts of the Federal Government
specific to maternal health, with a particular focus on
outcomes for minority women, including--
(A) ways to improve research, surveillance, and
data collection of the Federal Government related to
maternal health;
(B) ways for the Federal Government to factor
maternal health outcomes and disparities into decisions
regarding distribution of resources, including COVID-19
tests, personal protective equipment, and emergency
funding;
(C) the extent to which guidelines and
recommendations of the Federal Government related to
maternal health care during the COVID-19 public health
emergency were culturally congruent and linguistically
competent for minority women; and
(D) ways to improve the distribution of public
health funds, data, and information to Indian Tribes
and Tribal organizations with regard to maternal health
during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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