SenateS. 4694119th Congress
Maternal Health for Veterans Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4694 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4694
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to carry out a maternity care coordination program,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 4, 2026
Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to carry out a maternity care coordination program,
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 ``Maternal Health for Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. MATERNITY HEALTH CARE COORDINATION PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1786 the following
new section:
``Sec. 1786A. Maternity care coordination
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a maternity care
coordination program for eligible veterans.
``(b) Requirements.--In carrying out the program under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall--
``(1) provide care to eligible veterans from the beginning
of pregnancy until 12 months postpartum;
``(2) systematically and regularly compile and review data
on screenings by maternity care coordinators of eligible
veterans for mental health conditions, including data on
completion by such coordinators of required mental health
screenings and the results of such screenings; and
``(3) implement a performance management process that--
``(A) identifies desired program results and
requisite performance goals for the program; and
``(B) collects and uses performance information to
measure progress towards program goals.
``(c) Training and Support to Community Maternity Care Providers.--
In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
provide to community maternity care providers training and support with
respect to the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum eligible
veterans, particularly regarding mental and behavioral health
conditions relating to the service of such veterans in the uniformed
services.
``(d) Annual Report.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House
of Representatives a report that contains the following:
``(A) A summary of the activities carried out under
the program required by subsection (a).
``(B) Data on maternal health outcomes, including
maternal mortality, pregnancy-associated deaths,
pregnancy-related deaths, and severe maternal
morbidity, of eligible veterans who receive hospital
care or medical services furnished at a facility of the
Department or by a health care provider described in
section 1703(c) of this title who provides such care or
services to veterans under such section and other laws
administered by the Secretary, disaggregated by
relevant veteran characteristics, such as race and
ethnicity, age, disability, and whether the eligible
veteran lives in a rural area.
``(C) Progress on implementation of relevant
recommendations on improvements to the program made by,
at minimum, the Comptroller General of the United
States, the Inspector General of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the Secretary (based on previous
annual reports, if applicable), and an explanation if
the Secretary chooses to not implement a
recommendation.
``(D) Recommendations by the Secretary, if any, to
improve the maternal health outcomes of eligible
veterans, with a particular focus on eligible veterans
from demographic groups with elevated rates of maternal
mortality, pregnancy-associated deaths (including
pregnancy-related deaths), severe maternal morbidity,
maternal health disparities, or other adverse perinatal
or childbirth outcomes, including eligible veterans who
belong to one or more racial and ethnic minority group,
who identify as having a disability or more than one
disability, or who live in a rural area.
``(2) Provision of information.--The Secretary shall
provide the data required under paragraph (1) in a manner that
is wholly consistent with applicable Federal privacy and
confidentiality laws, including section 552a of title 5
(commonly known as the `Privacy Act of 1974'), the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public
Law 104-191), relevant regulations, including parts 160 and 164
of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor
regulations), and sections 5701, 5705, and 7332 of this title
to ensure that such data, or any portion of such data, will not
undermine the anonymity of a veteran.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Community maternity care provider.--The term
`community maternity care provider' means a maternity care
provider located at a non-Department facility who provides
maternity care to veterans under section 1703 of this title, or
any other law administered by the Secretary.
``(2) Disability.--The term `disability' has the meaning
given that term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
``(3) Eligible veteran.--The term `eligible veteran' means
a veteran enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment
of the Department established and operated under section 1705
of this title.
``(4) Maternal mortality.--The term `maternal mortality'
means a death occurring during or within a one-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.
``(5) Maternity care provider.--The term `maternity care
provider' means a health care provider who--
``(A) is a physician, a physician assistant, a
midwife who meets, at a minimum, the international
definition of a midwife and global standards for
midwifery education as established by the International
Confederation of Midwives, an advanced practice
registered nurse, a doula accredited by a State to
receive reimbursement for doula services under a State
plan (or a waiver of such plan) under title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), or a
lactation consultant certified by the International
Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners; and
``(B) has a focus on maternal or perinatal health.
``(6) Postpartum.--The term `postpartum', with respect to
an individual, means the one-year period beginning on the last
day of the pregnancy of the individual.
``(7) Pregnancy-associated death.--The term `pregnancy-
associated death' means the death of a pregnant or postpartum
individual, by any cause, that occurs during pregnancy or
within one year following pregnancy, regardless of the outcome,
duration, or site of the pregnancy.
``(8) Pregnancy-related death.--The term `pregnancy-related
death' means the death of a pregnant or postpartum individual
that occurs during pregnancy or within one year following
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.
``(9) Racial and ethnic minority group.--The term `racial
and ethnic minority group' has the meaning given that term in
section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-
6).
``(10) Rural.--The term `rural' has the meaning given that
term under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system
of the Department of Agriculture.
``(11) Severe maternal morbidity.--The term `severe
maternal morbidity' means a health condition, including a
mental health condition or substance use disorder, 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.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
1786 the following new item:
``1786A. Maternity Care Coordination.''.
(c) Conforming Repeal.--Section 3 of the Protecting Moms Who Served
Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-69; 135 Stat. 1496) is repealed.
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