Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act of 2022

Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act of 2022

This bill addresses data collection, public education, workplace safety, and other matters related to maternal health during public health emergencies.

Specifically, the bill supports (1) the collection of maternal data (including racial, ethnic, and other demographic data) through surveillance systems of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and (2) research activities of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Additionally, the CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must make publicly available and periodically update pregnancy and postpartum data that is collected across COVID-19 surveillance systems. The data must be disaggregated by factors such as race, ethnicity, insurance status, and location.

The bill also requires

• the CDC to educate pregnant people, their employers, and their health care providers about evidenced-based health information concerning COVID-19 and pregnancy;
• the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a task force to develop recommendations on the provision of maternity care during the COVID-19 (and future) public health emergencies with a particular focus on communities of color and rural populations;
• the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect employees who are at risk from occupational exposure to COVID-19 that considers the risks and needs of pregnant and postpartum employees; and
• the Government Accountability Office to report on maternal health and public health preparedness, including prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care during the COVID-19 emergency.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov