Alsobrooks, Blumenthal, and Hayes Introduce Legislation to Address Maternal Health Care

March 19, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Social Determinants for Moms Act to identify social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition. This legislation will establish a whole-of-government task force to address the maternal health crisis. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) led the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This bill is part of the Momnibus Act, introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.-14) and Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12). The Momnibus Act is 14 bills that comprehensively address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, a trend that continues to get worse. Black women, the maternal mortality rate in 2023 was 50.3 - nearly 3.5 times the maternal mortality rate for white women. Fortunately, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. The Social Determinants for Moms Act is working to address these preventable pregnancy-related deaths.

"Moms are dying in America - both from a lack of access to health care and because of social determinants like racial discrimination, housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation. It is unacceptable. American mothers deserve better. I am proud to partner with Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman Hayes to make essential federal investments to address the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes for moms," said Senator Alsobrooks.

"Social barriers like inadequate access to healthy food and affordable housing play a critical role in how mothers recover from childbirth. This bill makes invests in all the nonmedical factors that impact mothers during and after pregnancy. By creating a whole-of-government task force to address the maternal health crisis in our country, the Social Determinants for Moms Act establishes an interdisciplinary approach to reduce maternal mortality and save lives. Every mother deserves to have a safe and healthy pregnancy-regardless of where they live and work, their ethnicity, or anything else," said Senator Blumenthal.

"Black women in America are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. Long-standing inequities in housing, transportation, and nutrition are directly linked to maternal health," said Congresswoman Hayes. "In the wealthiest country in history, women should have access to high-quality health care and the ability to give birth with peace of mind. We can invest directly in efforts aimed at addressing the social determinants of health, allowing us to begin eliminating generations of disparities and ultimately saving lives."

Read the full bill text of the Social Determinants for Moms Act here. You can read the one-pager here.

###