Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act Reintroduced (Momnibus)
Key Dates
What Happened
On May 19, 2026, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) led more than 70 lawmakers in reintroducing the bicameral Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act. The bill would authorize funding for federal programs that support maternal and infant health during public health emergencies, set stronger maternal-health data collection and transparency standards during emergencies, fund public-health education on safe maternity care, and establish a task force on birthing experiences and respectful maternity care during emergencies. It is one component of the broader Black Maternal Health Momnibus package and is endorsed by roughly 200 organizations.
Who It Affects
Maternal-health providers, perinatal data and surveillance vendors, and digital-health companies serving pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding populations. The data-collection and transparency provisions are most relevant to companies building maternal-health registries, remote monitoring, and quality-reporting infrastructure. The task-force and education provisions touch doula, midwifery, and birth-center models that absorbed disruption during the COVID-19 period.
Business Implications
As a reintroduced Momnibus bill, near-term enactment odds are low, but the package functions as a directional signal for where federal maternal-health dollars and reporting mandates would flow if any piece advances. It lands the same week-cluster as the Moms Matter Act reintroduction (May 14), reinforcing that maternal mental health and emergency-preparedness data infrastructure are the active legislative lanes. Operators building maternal data, surveillance, and workforce capacity should track Momnibus component bills as a forward indicator of grant and quality-measure activity, not as imminent reimbursement change.
Sources
- McBath, Warren, 70+ Lawmakers Reintroduce Bicameral Bill to Address Maternal Health Risks During Public Health Emergencies
- Warren, Underwood, Lawmakers Reintroduce Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act