,,ib ,union ,cal5d> ,no4 #ae #aag?      
,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #ieh  
,report ,no4 #aag-cj ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,( 
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #h1 #bjba,ms4
 ,und]wood 7= h]self1 ,mr4 ,bilirakis1  
,ms4 ,br[nley1 & ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick7     
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to
 ! ,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs     
,may #ab1 #bjba;,additional sponsors3   
,ms4 ,h\lahan1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4        
,khanna1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mrs4 ,mc,bath1
 ,mr4 ,smi? ( ,wa%+ton1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1  
,mr4 ,lawson ( ,florida1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1  
,mr4 ,butt]field1 ,ms4 ,moore (         
,wiscons91 ,ms4 ,/rickl&1 ,mr4 ,ryan1   
,mr4 ,s*iff1 ,mr4 ,johnson ( ,georgia1  
,mr4 ,hors=d1 ,ms4 ,wass]man ,s*ultz1   
,ms4 ,b>ragn1 ,mr4 ,deut*1 ,mr4 ,payne1 
,mr4 ,blum5au]1 ,mr4 ,m\lton1 ,mr4      
,soto1 ,mr4 ,nadl]1 ,mr4 ,trone1 ,ms4   
,cl>ke ( ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,s*ak[sky1    
,ms4 ,bass1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,evans1
 ,ms4 ,blunt ,ro*e/]1 ,ms4 ,ca/or (     
,florida1 ,ms4 ,sewell1 ,ms4 ,williams (
 ,georgia1 ,mrs4 ,flet*]1 ,mr4 ,mrvan1  

,mr4 ,cri/1 ,mr4 ,l[5?al1 ,ms4 ,lois    
,frankel ( ,florida1 & ,mrs4 ,axne  ,may
 #ab1 #bjba,report$ f ! ,committee on   
,vet]ans' ,affairs1 committ$ to !       
,committee ( ! ,:ole ,h\se on ! ,/ate ( 
! ,union1 & ord]$ to be pr9t$  ,a ,,bill
  ,to codify mat]nity c>e coord9ation   
programs at ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans      
,affairs1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort  
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !         
,protect+ ,moms ,:o ,s]v$ ,act4  #b4    
,support = mat]nity c>e coord9ation  7a7
 ,program on mat]nity c>e coord9ation   
7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans   
,affairs %all c>ry out ! mat]nity c>e   
coord9ation program describ$ 9 ,vet]ans 
,heal? ,adm9i/ration ,h&book #accj4jc1  
or any successor h&book4  7#b7 ,tra9+ & 
support ,9 c>ry+ out ! program "u       
p>agraph 7#a71 ! ,secret>y %all provide 
to community mat]nity c>e provid]s tra9+
 & support ) respect to ! unique ne$s ( 
pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans1 p>ticul>ly 
reg>d+ m5tal & behavioral heal?         
conditions relat+ to ! s]vice ( !       

vet]ans 9 ! ,arm$ ,=ces4  7b7           
,au?orization ( appropriations ,!re is  
au?oriz$ to be appropriat$ to !         
,secret>y #ae1jjj1jjj = fiscal ye> #bjbb
 = ! mat]nity c>e coord9ation program4  
,su* am\nts are au?oriz$ 9 addition to  
any o!r am\nts au?oriz$ = su* purpose4  
7c7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! 
t]m community mat]nity c>e provid]s     
means mat]nity c>e provid]s locat$ at   
non-,dep>tm5t facilities :o provide     
mat]nity c>e to vet]ans "u section #agjc
 ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 or   
o!r provisions ( law adm9i/]$ by !      
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,! 
t]m non-,dep>tm5t facilities has ! mean+
 giv5 t t]m 9 section #agja ( title #ch1
 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4  #c4 ,report on   
mat]nal mortality & sev]e mat]nal       
morbidity among pregnant & po/p>tum     
vet]ans  7a7 ,,gao report ,n lat] ?an   
two ye>s aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is 
,act1 ! ,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$   
,/ates %all submit to ! ,committees on  
,vet]ans' ,affairs ( ! ,s5ate & ! ,h\se 

( ,repres5tatives1 & make publicly      
available1 a report on mat]nal mortality
 & sev]e mat]nal morbidity among        
pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans1 ) a        
p>ticul> focus on racial & e?nic        
disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? outcomes =   
vet]ans4  7b7 ,matt]s includ$ ,! report 
"u subsection 7a7 %all include ! foll[+3
 7#a7 ,to ! ext5t practicable-- 7,a7 !  
numb] ( pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans :o h
 exp]i5c$ a pregnancy-relat$ dea? or    
pregnancy-associat$ dea? 9 ! mo/ rec5t  
#aj ye>s ( available data2  7,b7 ! rate 
( pregnancy-relat$ dea?s p] #ajj1jjj    
live bir?s = pregnant & po/p>tum        
vet]ans2  7,c7 ! numb] ( cases ( sev]e  
mat]nal morbidity among pregnant &      
po/p>tum vet]ans 9 ! mo/ rec5t ye> (    
available data2  7,d7 ! racial & e?nic  
disp>ities 9 mat]nal mortality & sev]e  
mat]nal morbidity rates among pregnant &
 po/p>tum vet]ans2  7,e7 id5tification (
 ! causes ( mat]nal mortality & sev]e   
mat]nal morbidity t are unique to       
vet]ans1 includ+ po/-traumatic /ress    

disord]1 milit>y sexual trauma1 &       
inf]tility or misc>riages t may be caus$
 by su* s]vice2  7,f7 id5tification ( ! 
causes ( mat]nal mortality & sev]e      
mat]nal morbidity t are unique to       
vet]ans f racial & e?nic m9ority gr\ps &
 o!r at-risk populations z deem$        
appropriate2  7,g7 id5tification ( any  
correlations betwe5 ! =m] rank ( vet]ans
 & _! mat]nal heal? outcomes2  7,h7 !   
numb] ( vet]ans :o h be5 diagnos$ )     
inf]tility by ,vet]ans ,heal?           
,adm9i/ration provid]s ea* ye> 9 ! mo/  
rec5t five ye>s1 disaggregat$ by age1   
race1 e?nicity1 sex1 m>ital /atus1      
sexual ori5tation1 g5d] id5tity1 &      
geographical location2  7,i7 ! numb] (  
vet]ans :o receive a cl9ical diagnosis (
 unexpla9$ inf]tility by ,vet]ans ,heal?
 ,adm9i/ration provid]s ea* ye> 9 ! mo/ 
rec5t five ye>s2 &  7,j7 ! ext5t to :i* 
! rate ( incid5ce ( cl9ically diagnos$  
inf]tility among vet]ans comp>e or diff]
 to ! rate ( incid5ce ( cl9ically       
diagnos$ inf]tility among ! civilian    

population4  7#b7 ,an assessm5t ( !     
b>ri]s to det]m9+ ! in=mation requir$ "u
 p>agraph 7#a7 & recomm5dations =       
improvem5ts 9 track+ mat]nal heal?      
outcomes among pregnant & po/p>tum      
vet]ans-- 7,a7 :o h heal? c>e cov]age   
?r\gh ! ,dep>tm5t2  7,b7 enroll$ 9 !    
,,tric>e program2  7,c7 :o are eligible 
to use ! ,indian ,heal? ,s]vice1 ,tribal
 heal? programs1 or urban ,indian heal? 
organizations2  7,d7 ) employ]-bas$ or  
private insurance2  7,e7 enroll$ 9 !    
,m$icaid program2 &  7,f7 :o are        
un9sur$4  7#c7 ,recomm5dations =        
legislative & adm9i/rative actions to   
increase access to m5tal & behavioral   
heal? c>e = pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans 
:o scre5 positively = mat]nal m5tal or  
behavioral heal? conditions4  7#d7      
,recomm5dations to address homelessness1
 food insecurity1 pov]ty1 & relat$      
issues among pregnant & po/p>tum        
vet]ans4  7#e7 ,recomm5dations on h[ to 
effectively educate mat]nity c>e        
provid]s on be/ practices = provid+     

mat]nity c>e s]vices to vet]ans t       
addresses ! unique mat]nal heal? c>e    
ne$s ( ! vet]an population4  7#f7       
,recomm5dations to r$uce mat]nal        
mortality & sev]e mat]nal morbidity     
among pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans & to  
address racial & e?nic disp>ities 9     
mat]nal heal? outcomes = ea* ( ! gr\ps  
describ$ 9 subp>agraphs 7,a7 ?r\gh 7,e7 
( p>agraph 7#b74  7#g7 ,recomm5dations  
to improve coord9ation ( c>e betwe5 !   
,dep>tm5t & non-,dep>tm5t facilities =  
pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans1 includ+    
recomm5dations to improve-- 7,a7 heal?  
record int]op]ability2 &  7,b7 tra9+ = !
 directors ( ! ,vet]ans ,integrat$      
,s]vice ,networks1 directors ( m$ical   
facilities ( ! ,dep>tm5t1 *iefs ( /aff (
 su* facilities1 mat]nity c>e           
coord9ators1 & /aff ( relevant          
non-,dep>tm5t facilities4  7#h7 ,an     
assessm5t ( ! au?ority ( ! ,secret>y (  
,vet]ans ,affairs to access mat]nal     
heal? data collect$ by ! ,dep>tm5t (    
,heal? & ,human ,s]vices &1 if          

applicable1 recomm5dations to increase  
su* au?ority4  7#i7 ,to ! ext5t         
applicable1 an assessm5t ( pot5tial     
causes ( or explanations = l[] mat]nal  
mortality rates among vet]ans :o h heal?
 cov]age ?r\gh ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans   
,affairs comp>$ to mat]nal mortality    
rates 9 ! g5]al ,unit$ ,/ates           
population4  7#aj7 ,any o!r in=mation ! 
,comptroll] ,g5]al det]m9es appropriate 
) respect to ! r$uction ( mat]nal       
mortality & sev]e mat]nal morbidity     
among pregnant & po/p>tum vet]ans & to  
address racial & e?nic disp>ities 9     
mat]nal heal? outcomes = vet]ans4  #d4  
,def9itions ,9 ?is ,act3 7#a7 ,mat]nal  
mortality ,! t]m mat]nal mortality means
 a dea? occurr+ dur+ or )9 a "o-ye>     
p]iod aft] pregnancy1 caus$ by          
pregnancy-relat$ or *ildbir?            
complications1 includ+ a suicide1       
ov]dose1 or o!r dea? result+ f a m5tal  
heal? or sub/ance use disord] attribut$ 
to or aggravat$ by pregnancy-relat$ or  
*ildbir? complications4  7#b7 ,po/p>tum 

& po/p>tum p]iod ,! t]ms po/p>tum &     
po/p>tum p]iod ref] to ! #a-ye> p]iod   
beg9n+ on ! la/ day ( ! pregnancy ( an  
individual4  7#c7 ,pregnancy-associat$  
dea? ,! t]m pregnancy-associat$ dea?    
means a dea? ( a pregnant or po/p>tum   
individual1 by any cause1 t occurs dur+1
 or )9 #a ye> foll[+1 ! individual's    
pregnancy1 reg>dless ( ! outcome1       
duration1 or site ( ! pregnancy4  7#d7  
,pregnancy-relat$ dea? ,! t]m           
pregnancy-relat$ dea? means a dea? ( a  
pregnant or po/p>tum individual t occurs
 dur+1 or )9 #a ye> foll[+1 !           
individual's pregnancy1 f a pregnancy   
complication1 a *a9 ( ev5ts initiat$ by 
pregnancy1 or ! aggravation ( an        
unrelat$ condition by ! physiologic     
effects ( pregnancy4  7#e7 ,racial &    
e?nic m9ority gr\p ,! t]m racial & e?nic
 m9ority gr\p has ! mean+ giv5 su* t]m 9
 section #agjg7;g77#a7 ( ! ,public      
,heal? ,s]vice ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4      
#cjju-#f7;g77#a774  7#f7 ,sev]e mat]nal 
morbidity ,! t]m sev]e mat]nal morbidity

 means a heal? condition1 includ+ m5tal 
heal? conditions & sub/ance use         
disord]s1 attribut$ to or aggravat$ by  
pregnancy or *ildbir? t results 9       
significant %ort-t]m or long-t]m        
consequ5ces to ! heal? ( ! individual :o
 0 pregnant4  ,may #ab1 #bjba;,committ$ 
to ! ,committee ( ! ,:ole ,h\se on !    
,/ate ( ! ,union & ord]$ to be pr9t$