#aag? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,s4 #gif
  ,,an ,,act  ,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$ ,act (      
#bjba4  #b4 ,def9itions ,9 ?is ,act3    
7#a7 ,mat]nal mortality ,! t]m mat]nal  
mortality means a dea? occurr+ dur+     
pregnancy or )9 a "o-ye> p]iod aft]     
pregnancy t is caus$ by pregnancy-relat$
 or *ildbir? complications1 includ+     
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 ,! t]m   
po/p>tum1 ) respect to an individual1   
means ! "o-ye> p]iod beg9n+ on ! la/ day
 ( ! pregnancy ( ! individual4  7#c7    
,pregnancy-associat$ dea? ,! t]m        
pregnancy-associat$ dea? means ! dea? ( 
a pregnant or po/p>tum individual1 by   
any cause1 t occurs dur+ pregnancy or )9
 "o ye> foll[+ pregnancy1 reg>dless ( ! 

outcome1 duration1 or site ( !          
pregnancy4  7#d7 ,pregnancy-relat$ dea? 
,! t]m pregnancy-relat$ dea? means !    
dea? ( a pregnant or po/p>tum individual
 t occurs dur+ pregnancy or )9 "o ye>   
foll[+ pregnancy 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 t 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+ a     
m5tal heal? condition or sub/ance use   
disord]1 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  #c4 ,support by ,dep>tm5t 
( ,vet]ans ,affairs ( 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
 ,directive #accj4jc4  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  7#a7 ,9 
g5]al ,!re is au?oriz$ to be appropriat$
 to ! ,secret>y #ae1jjj1jjj = fiscal ye>
 #bjbb = ! program "u subsection        
7a77#a74  7#b7 ,supplem5t n supplant    
,am\nts au?oriz$ "u p>agraph 7#a7 are   
au?oriz$ 9 addition to any o!r am\nts   
au?oriz$ = mat]nity heal? c>e &         
coord9ation = ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans    
,affairs4  7c7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is       
section3 7#a7 ,community mat]nity c>e   
provid]s ,! 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 any o!r law adm9i/]$ by !    
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs4  7#b7    
,non-,dep>tm5t facilities ,! t]m        
non-,dep>tm5t facilities has ! mean+    
giv5 t t]m 9 section #agja ( title #ch1 
,unit$ ,/ates ,code4  #d4 ,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 ! ,committee on   
,vet]ans' ,affairs ( ! ,s5ate & !       
,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs ( !    
,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 an assessm5t ( !  
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 s]vice 9 !
 ,arm$ ,=ces2  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 &

 su* o!r at-risk populations z !        
,comptroll] ,g5]al consid]s 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 a    
heal? c>e provid] ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?   
,adm9i/ration ea* ye> 9 ! mo/ rec5t five
 ye>s1 disaggregat$ by age1 race1       
e?nicity1 sex1 m>ital /atus1 &          
geographical location2  7,i7 ! numb] (  
vet]ans :o h receiv$ a cl9ical diagnosis
 ( unexpla9$ inf]tility by a heal? c>e  
provid] ( ! ,vet]ans ,heal?             
,adm9i/ration ea* ye> 9 ! mo/ rec5t five
 ye>s2 &  7,j7 an assessm5t ( ! 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 :o-- 7,a7 h heal? c>e  
cov]age ?r\gh ! ,dep>tm5t2  7,b7 are    
enroll$ 9 ! ,,tric>e program 7z def9$ 9 
section #ajgb ( title #aj1 ,unit$ ,/ates
 ,code72  7,c7 h employ]-bas$ or private
 insurance2  7,d7 are enroll$ 9 !       
,m$icaid program "u title ,,xix ( !     
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acif et seq472  7,e7 are eligible to   
receive heal? c>e furni%$ by-- 7i7 !    
,indian ,heal? ,s]vice2  7ii7 ,tribal   
heal? programs2 or  7iii7 urban ,indian 
organizations2 or  7,f7 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$s ( vet]an populations4   
7#f7 ,recomm5dations to r$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,f7 
( 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?
 c>e cov]age ?r\gh ! ,dep>tm5t (        
,vet]ans ,affairs comp>$ to mat]nal     
mortality rates 9 ! g5]al population ( !
 ,unit$ ,/ates4  7#aj7 ,any o!r         
in=mation ! ,comptroll] ,g5]al det]m9es 
appropriate ) respect to ! r$uction (   
mat]nal mortality & sev]e mat]nal       
morbidity among pregnant & po/p>tum     
vet]ans & to address racial & e?nic     
disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? outcomes =   
vet]ans4  7c7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is        
section1 ! t]ms ,tribal heal? program & 
urban ,indian organization h ! mean+s   
giv5 ^? t]ms 9 section #d ( ! ,indian   
,heal? ,c>e ,improvem5t ,act 7#be       
,u4,s4,c4 #afjc74  ,pass$ ! ,s5ate      
,octob] #g1 #bjba4,secret>y