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CIVIC HERALD
HR 7973 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Momnibus Act

In plain language: This legislation extends Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance for postpartum and breastfeeding parents up to two years after giving birth. It authorizes hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants for maternal mental health care, addiction treatment, telehealth, housing and nutrition support, and climate hazard relief such as residential cooling units. In addition, the bill funds programs to train and diversify the maternal care workforce, expands pregnancy services for incarcerated women and veterans, and reduces federal law enforcement grants by 25 percent for states that do not restrict the use of physical restraints on pregnant inmates.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, issue tags, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—The text expands WIC postpartum and breastfeeding coverage to up to 24 months and establishes multiple nationwide maternal health programs, but does not state a specific numeric estimate of the target population.
Fiscal magnitude—no CBO estimate published
Reach58provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Substance use & mental health+45Race-conscious policy+55Sentencing & corrections+45Public R&D+50Veterans' care delivery+35Government role in coverage+30SNAP & nutrition+50

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Postpartum and breastfeeding WIC participantsExtends eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to postpartum and breastfeeding individuals for up to 24 months following childbirth (Sec. 201).provisional
  • Incarcerated pregnant and postpartum individualsReceive specialized maternal care, doula services, nutritional support, mental health treatment, and reentry assistance in federal and state correctional facilities, while gaining statutory protections against the use of physical restraints during pregnancy (Sec. 801, Sec. 802, Sec. 803).provisional
  • Community-based maternal health organizations and Tribal entitiesEligible for dedicated federal grants to tackle nonclinical social factors (housing, nutrition, transportation), maternal mental health and substance use disorders, maternal health equity initiatives, and climate-related health risks (Sec. 102, Sec. 301, Sec. 601, Sec. 701, Sec. 1202).provisional
  • Perinatal, nursing, and maternal mental health studentsEligible for scholarships and expanded education programs to train and enter careers as certified nurse-midwives, perinatal nurses, doulas, and maternal mental and behavioral health specialists (Sec. 502, Sec. 503, Sec. 702).provisional
  • Pregnant and postpartum veteransBenefit from expanded Department of Veterans Affairs maternity care coordination programs and outcome monitoring backed by $15 million in annual authorized funding (Sec. 401).provisional
  • Pregnant individuals and young children in climate-vulnerable communitiesEligible to receive direct financial assistance, air conditioning units, home filtration, weatherization support, and cooling shelter access in areas with elevated extreme weather and climate risks (Sec. 1202).provisional

Who it burdens

  • States without laws restricting restraints on pregnant prisonersLose 25 percent of their federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant allocations if they fail to enact and enforce laws substantially restricting the use of restraints on pregnant incarcerated individuals (Sec. 801).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Authorizes $100 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 for grants to community organizations, Tribal entities, and local health agencies to address nonclinical social factors affecting maternal health, such as housing, transportation, and nutrition.

    Sec. 102provisional

  2. Extends Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits to postpartum and breastfeeding individuals for up to 24 months after giving birth.

    Sec. 201provisional

  3. Authorizes $100 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 for grants to community-based organizations to establish or expand evidence-based programs advancing maternal health equity.

    Sec. 301provisional

  4. Authorizes $15 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 for grants to create or expand accredited education programs and student scholarships to grow and diversify the perinatal health workforce, including midwives and doulas.

    Sec. 502provisional

  5. Authorizes $25 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 for grants to community organizations, clinics, and Tribal entities to establish or expand screening and treatment programs for maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

    Sec. 701provisional

  6. Reduces federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funding by 25 percent for any state that does not maintain laws substantially restricting the use of restraints on pregnant incarcerated individuals, reallocating withheld funds to compliant states.

    Sec. 801provisional

  7. Authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 for Department of Justice grants to states to establish or expand maternal health care, nutrition, doula services, and pretrial diversion programs for pregnant and postpartum individuals in state and local jails and prisons.

    Sec. 803provisional

  8. Directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to run a five-year demonstration project from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 allowing states to test value-based alternative payment models for perinatal care under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

    Sec. 1001provisional

  9. Authorizes $100 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 for competitive grants to local consortia to protect pregnant individuals and children under age three from climate change and extreme weather risks through direct financial, housing, cooling, and weatherization aid.

    Sec. 1202provisional

  10. Authorizes $73.4 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through 2032 for the National Institutes of Health to carry out the IMPROVE Initiative to research preventable causes of maternal mortality, severe morbidity, and health disparities.

    Sec. 1301provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Apr 20, 2026Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Mar 18, 2026Introduced in House
  3. Mar 18, 2026Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 17 days ago

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