Pregnant women; website that provides available service and programs.
Impact
The bill specifically outlines that the website must include detailed information on public and private agencies, including adoption agencies, that offer support during pregnancy and early child-rearing. It will also feature information on resources available at no cost to pregnant women, such as ultrasound imaging services and heart tone monitoring. Additionally, tax resources including options for child care subsidies and tax credits will be provided, thus serving as a central clearinghouse for crucial support information for families.
Summary
House Bill 2476 mandates the establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive website by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the State Health Commissioner. This website will provide accessible information in both English and Spanish regarding services available to pregnant women and families. The aim of this legislation is to ensure that women have access to vital resources throughout their pregnancy and after childbirth, which may enhance maternal and child health outcomes.
Contention
While the bill primarily serves to improve access to services for pregnant women, discussions surrounding its implementation may revolve around the logistics of maintaining the website and ensuring that the information provided is constantly updated and accurate. There could also be debates about the scope of the services listed and ensuring that a diverse range of organizations are represented, including faith-based and community organizations. Concerns may also arise over funding for the website's upkeep and potential government oversight regarding the information shared.
Standing with Moms ActThis bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disseminate information about pregnancy-related resources, including information about abortion risks and alternatives.Specifically, HHS must create a public website called life.gov that lists such resources that are available through federal, state, and local governments and private entities.Additionally, HHS must create on its existing website a portal that provides a user, based on the user's responses to a series of questions, tailored information about pregnancy resources available in the user's zip code and risks related to abortion. HHS must develop a plan to conduct follow-up outreach to users of the portal (if the user consents to the outreach). States must recommend resources that meet criteria set by HHS for inclusion in the portal. HHS may award grants to states to establish or support a system that aggregates resources to include in the portal.Further, the Health Resources and Services Administration must share information about the new website and portal through the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.HHS must also ensure that the new website and hotline are available to families who speak languages other than English.The new website, portal, and hotline may not include resources provided by entities that (1) perform, induce, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortions; or (2) financially support such entities.The bill also requires HHS to report on traffic to the new website and portal, gaps in services available to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and related matters.