S. 4694

[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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