HR 943 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

Social Determinants for Moms Act

Introduced Feb 8, 2021 Originated House Sponsor Lucy McBath D-GA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Mar 9, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedFeb 8, 2021
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Social Determinants for Moms Act

This bill directs various federal departments to address social determinants of maternal health. These are nonclinical factors, such as economic or social factors, that impact maternal health outcomes.

First, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must convene a task force to coordinate federal efforts on social determinants of maternal health. HHS must also award grants to

  • support access to free child care during prenatal and postpartum appointments; and
  • address social determinants of, and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in, maternal health.

Second, the Department of Housing and Urban Development must award grants to community-based organizations and government entities to assist pregnant and postpartum individuals with affordable housing. Grantees may use funds to, for example, provide individuals with direct financial assistance.

Third, the Department of Transportation must report on transportation barriers that prevent pregnant and postpartum individuals from accessing health care and other services.

Fourth, the bill extends to 24 months the postpartum eligibility period for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Currently, WIC eligibility lasts for six months postpartum or one year for those breastfeeding. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must evaluate the impact of this extension. USDA must also establish a grant program to deliver healthy foods and supplies to pregnant and postpartum individuals in food deserts.

Last, the Environmental Protection Agency must enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the impact of environmental conditions and contaminants on maternal and infant health outcomes.

Cosponsors 38

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 8, 2021 to Jul 18, 2022; 33 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAdam B. SchiffOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-WAAdam SmithOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-FLAl Lawson, Jr.OriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NCAlma S. AdamsOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-MAAyanna PressleyOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-FLDarren SotoOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-MDDavid J. TroneOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-FLDebbie Wasserman SchultzOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NJDonald M. Payne, Jr.OriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-PADwight EvansOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-OREarl BlumenauerOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NCG. K. ButterfieldOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-WIGwen MooreOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-GAHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.OriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-CTJahana HayesOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NYJerrold NadlerOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-CAKaren BassOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-FLKathy CastorOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-ILLauren UnderwoodOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-DELisa Blunt RochesterOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-WAMarilyn StricklandOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-PAMary Gay ScanlonOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-CANanette Diaz BarragánOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-GANikema WilliamsOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NYNydia M. VelázquezOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-CARo KhannaOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-MASeth MoultonOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NVSteven HorsfordOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-ALTerri A. SewellOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-FLTheodore E. DeutchOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-OHTim RyanOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NYYvette D. ClarkeOriginalFeb 8, 2021
D-NYAlexandria Ocasio-CortezJul 16, 2021
D-NYCarolyn B. MaloneyJul 16, 2021
D-NCKathy E. ManningJul 16, 2021
D-TNSteve CohenAug 23, 2021
D-CAJohn GaramendiJul 18, 2022

Committees 5

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Feb 8, 2021
Health Subcommittee
Referred Feb 9, 2021
HouseFinancial Services Committee
Referred Feb 8, 2021
HouseTransportation and Infrastructure Committee
Referred Feb 8, 2021
Highways and Transit Subcommittee
Referred Feb 9, 2021
HouseAgriculture Committee
Referred Feb 8, 2021
Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee
Referred Mar 9, 2021
HouseEducation and Workforce Committee
Referred Feb 8, 2021

Actions 5

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Mar 9, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
  2. Feb 9, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
  3. Feb 9, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  4. Feb 8, 2021Introduced in House
  5. Feb 8, 2021Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 23, February 8, 2021, page H484.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
Serial No. 117-39EMPOWERED BY DATA: LEGISLATION TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH257 pagesEnergy and Commerce CommitteeJun 24, 2021

Related bills 6

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 346Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021Related billFeb 22, 2021
S 851Social Determinants for Moms ActRelated billMar 18, 2021
HR 959Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021Related billApr 23, 2021
S 4486Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022Related billJun 23, 2022
HR 7585Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022Related billJun 29, 2022
Show all 6 related bills

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To address social determinants of maternal health with respect to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Social Determinants for Moms Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 8, 2021Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.