,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bcaa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ai1 
#bjae,mr4 ,heller 7for himself1 ,mrs4   
,gillibrand1 ,ms4 ,ayotte1 and ,mr4     
,markey7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to authorize the ,secretary of ,health  
and ,human ,services1 acting through the
 ,administrator of the ,health          
,resources and ,services                
,administration1 to make grants to      
,states for screening and treatment for 
maternal depression4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,bringing
 ,postpartum ,depression ,out of the    
,shadows ,act of #bjae4  #b4 ,findings  
,congress finds as follows3  7#a7       
,depression is a medical1 physiologic   
illness1 and not a sign of weakness or  
poor parenting4  7#b7 ,maternal         
depression includes major and minor     

depressive episodes that occur during   
pregnancy or in the first #ab months    
after delivery4  7#c7 ,an estimated #i  
to #af percent of new mothers experience
 postpartum depression4  7#d7 ,every    
year1 more than #djj1jjj infants are    
born to mothers who have depression1    
which makes perinatal depression the    
most underdiagnosed obstetric           
complication in the ,united ,states4    
7#e7 ,the consequences of maternal      
depression include poor bonding between 
mother and infant1 which may have       
negative effects on cognitive           
development1 social-emotional           
development1 and behavior of the child4 
7#f7 ,maternal suicide exceeds          
hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders as
 a cause of maternal mortality4  7#g7   
,about #ij percent of women who have    
maternal depression can be treated      
successfully with a combination of      
medication and counseling4  7#h7 ,states
 and professional organizations are     
taking the lead in addressing this      

problem1 through public awareness       
campaigns1 resource collection1 and even
 promoting phone consultations4  7#i7   
,congress should provide resources to   
support ,state teams1 and help them find
 innovative solutions to this problem4  
#c4 ,screening and treatment for        
maternal depression ,the ,public ,health
 ,service ,act is amended by inserting  
after section #cag,l of such ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;b-#ac7 the following3    
#cag,l-#a4 ,screening and treatment for 
maternal depression  7a7 ,grants ,the   
,secretary1 acting through the          
,administrator of the ,health ,resources
 and ,services ,administration1 may make
 grants to ,states to establish1 expand1
 or maintain culturally competent       
programs for screening and treatment of 
women who are pregnant1 or who have     
given birth within the preceding #ab    
months1 for maternal depression4  7b7   
,number ,the ,secretary shall make      
grants under this section to not fewer  
than #c ,states4  7c7 ,application ,to  

seek a grant under this section1 a      
,state shall submit an application to   
the ,secretary at such time1 in such    
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may require4 ,at a    
minimum1 any such application shall     
include explanations of--  7#a7 how the 
,state's proposed program will increase 
the percentage of women screened and    
treated for maternal depression in one  
or more communities2 and  7#b7 how the  
,state's proposed program1 if expanded1 
would lead to substantial increases in  
screening and treatment for maternal    
depression4  7d7 ,priority ,in awarding 
grants under this section1 the          
,secretary shall give priority to       
,states proposing to expand or enhance  
screening for maternal depression in    
primary care settings1 including family 
medicine1 general internal medicine1    
general pediatrics1 preventive medicine1
 obstetrics and gynecology1 and         
psychiatry4  7e7 ,use of funds ,the     
activities eligible for funding through 

a grant under subsection 7a7-- 7#a7     
shall include--  7,a7 providing         
appropriate training to health care     
providers2 and  7,b7 providing relevant 
resources to health care providers1     
including information on maternal       
depression screening1 treatment1 and    
followup support1 and linkages to       
community-based resources2 and  7#b7 may
 include-- 7,a7 enabling health care    
providers 7including                    
obstetrician-gynecologists1             
pediatricians1 psychiatrists1 mental    
health care providers1 and adult primary
 care clinicians7 to provide or receive 
real-time psychiatric consultation      
7in-person or remotely7 to aid in the   
treatment of pregnant and postpartum    
women2  7,b7 conducting a public        
awareness campaign2  7,c7 funding       
start-up costs for phone lines1         
websites1 the collection and            
dissemination of information1 and other 
relevant resources and services2 and    
7,d7 establishing linkages with and     

among community-based resources1        
including mental health resources1      
primary care resources1 and support     
groups4  7f7 ,authorization of          
appropriations ,to carry out this       
section1 there are authorized to be     
appropriated #e1jjj1jjj for each of     
fiscal years #bjaf through #bjbj4  4