Blog Archives

Kira Johnson Act

The Kira Johnson Act makes investments in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to support moms. The bill also supports bias and racism training programs, research, and the establishment of Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs to address bias and racism, and to promote accountability in maternity care settings. The Kira Johnson Act will: 1. Establish a fund to provide robust funding directly to community-based organizations working to advance maternal health equity. 2. Provide funding for grant programs to implement and study consistent bias, racism, and discrimination trainings for all employees in maternity care settings. 3. Provide funding to establish Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs within hospitals to provide mechanisms for pregnant and postpartum patients to report instances of disrespect or evidence of racial, ethnic, or other types of bias and promote accountability.

Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act

The Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act provides funding to promote exemplary care for pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated jails to establish programs for pregnant and postpartum women in their facilities, including access to support for doulas and other perinatal health workers, counseling, reentry assistance, maternal-infant bonding opportunities, and diversionary programs to prevent incarceration for pregnant and postpartum people. The bill also commissions a comprehensive study to understand the scope of the maternal health crisis among incarcerated people and to make recommendations to prevent maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in American prisons and jails. Finally, the bill ties federal funding for state and local prisons and jails to prohibitions on the use of restraints for incarcerated pregnant people to end the practice of shackling.