,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgag  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #aa      
7legislative day1 ,july #aj71 #bjbd,mr4 
,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4 ,risch7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a      
,,bill  ,to include pregnancy and loss  
of pregnancy as qualifying life events  
under the ,,tricare program and to      
require a study on maternal health in   
the military health system1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,military ,moms
 ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 
7#a7 ,covered beneficiary2 dependent2   
,,tricare program ,the terms covered    
beneficiary1 dependent1 and ,,tricare   
program have the meanings given those   
terms in section #ajgb of title #aj1    
,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,maternal  
health ,the term maternal health means  
care during labor1 birthing1 prenatal   
care1 and postpartum care4  7#c7        

,maternity care desert ,the term        
maternity care desert means a county in 
the ,united ,states that does not have--
 7,a7 a hospital or birth center        
offering obstetric care2 or  7,b7 an    
obstetric provider4  7#d7 ,prenatal care
 ,the term prenatal care means medical  
care provided to maintain and improve   
fetal and maternal health during        
pregnancy4  7#e7 ,secretary ,the term   
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,defense4  #c4 ,modification of         
qualifying life events  7a7 ,in general 
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 update the list 
of qualifying life events under the     
,,tricare program to include pregnancy  
and loss of pregnancy2 and  7#b7 issue  
guidance to covered beneficiaries       
describing the documentation required to
 make enrollment changes under the      
,,tricare program due to such qualifying
 life events1 such as written           
confirmation from a medical provider    

confirming a pregnancy or loss of       
pregnancy4  7b7 ,prohibition ,this      
section shall not apply to a covered    
beneficiary who seeks to claim an       
abortion as a qualifying life event4    
7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,abortion ,the term abortion means the  
use or prescription of any instrument1  
medicine1 drug1 or other substance or   
device to intentionally-- 7,a7 kill the 
unborn child of a woman known to be     
pregnant2 or  7,b7 prematurely terminate
 the pregnancy of a woman known to be   
pregnant1 with an intention other than  
to-- 7i7 increase the probability of a  
live birth or preserve the life or      
health of the child after a live birth2 
7ii7 remove a dead unborn child2 or     
7iii7 treat an ectopic pregnancy4  7#b7 
,loss of pregnancy ,the term loss of    
pregnancy means miscarriage or          
stillbirth4  #d4 ,report on access to   
maternal health care within the military
 health system  7a7 ,in general ,not    
later than two years after the date of  

the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,armed ,services and the  
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate and the ,committee on ,armed    
,services and the ,committee on         
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives a report on access to  
maternal health care within the military
 health system for covered beneficiaries
 during the preceding two-year period4  
7b7 ,contents ,the report required under
 subsection 7a7 shall include the       
following3 7#a7 ,with respect to        
military medical treatment facilities1  
the following3 7,a7 ,an analysis of the 
availability of maternal health care for
 covered beneficiaries who access the   
military health system through such     
facilities4  7,b7 ,an identification of 
staffing shortages in positions relating
 to maternal health and childbirth1     
including obstetrician-gynecologists1   
certified nurse midwives1 and labor and 
delivery nurses4  7,c7 ,a description of

 specific challenges faced by covered   
beneficiaries in accessing maternal     
health care at such facilities4  7,d7   
,an analysis of the timeliness of access
 to maternal health care1 including wait
 times for and travel times to          
appointments4  7,e7 ,a description of   
how such facilities track patient       
satisfaction with maternal health       
services4  7,f7 ,a process to establish 
continuity of prenatal care and         
postpartum care for covered             
beneficiaries who experience a permanent
 change of station during a pregnancy4  
7,g7 ,an identification of barriers with
 regard to continuity of prenatal care  
and postpartum care during permanent    
changes of station4  7,h7 ,a description
 of military-specific health challenges 
impacting covered beneficiaries who     
receive maternal health care at military
 medical treatment facilities1 and a    
description of how the ,department      
tracks such challenges4  7,i7 ,for the  
#aj-year period preceding the date of   

the submission of the report1 the amount
 of funds annually expended-- 7i7 by the
 ,department of ,defense on maternal    
health care2 and  7ii7 by covered       
beneficiaries on out-of-pocket costs    
associated with maternal health care4   
7,j7 ,an identification of each medical 
facility of the ,department of ,defense 
located in a maternity care desert4     
7,k7 ,recommendations and legislative   
proposals-- 7i7 to address staffing     
shortages that impact the positions     
described in subparagraph 7,b72  7ii7 to
 improve the delivery and availability  
of maternal health services through     
military medical treatment facilities   
and improve patient experience2 and     
7iii7 to improve continuity of prenatal 
care and postpartum care for covered    
beneficiaries during a permanent change 
of station4  7#b7 ,with respect to      
providers within the ,,tricare program  
network that are not located at or      
affiliated with a military medical      
treatment facility1 the following3 7,a7 

,an analysis of the availability of     
maternal health care for covered        
beneficiaries who access the military   
health system through such providers4   
7,b7 ,an identification of staffing     
shortages for such providers in         
positions relating to maternal health   
and childbirth1 including               
obstetrician-gynecologists1 certified   
nurse midwives1 and labor and delivery  
nurses4  7,c7 ,a description of specific
 challenges faced by covered            
beneficiaries in accessing maternal     
health care from such providers4  7,d7  
,an analysis of the timeliness of access
 to maternal health care1 including wait
 times for and travel times to          
appointments4  7,e7 ,a description of   
how such providers track patient        
satisfaction with maternal health       
services4  7,f7 ,a process to establish 
continuity of prenatal care and         
postpartum care for covered             
beneficiaries who experience a permanent
 change of station during a pregnancy4  

7,g7 ,an identification of barriers with
 regard to continuity of prenatal care  
and postpartum care during permanent    
changes of station4  7,h7 ,the number of
 dependents who choose to access        
maternal health care through such       
providers4  7,i7 ,for the #aj-year      
period preceding the date of the        
submission of the report1 the amount of 
funds annually expended-- 7i7 by the    
,department of ,defense on maternal     
health care2 and  7ii7 by covered       
beneficiaries on out-of-pocket costs    
associated with maternal health care4   
7,j7 ,recommendations and legislative   
proposals-- 7i7 to address staffing     
shortages that impact the positions     
described in subparagraph 7,b72  7ii7 to
 improve the delivery and availability  
of maternal health services through the 
,,tricare program and improve patient   
experience2  7iii7 to improve continuity
 of prenatal care and postpartum care   
for covered beneficiaries during a      
permanent change of station2 and  7iv7  

to improve the ability of contractors   
under the ,,tricare program to build a  
larger network of providers for maternal
 health1 including                      
obstetrician-gynecologists1 certified   
nurse midwives1 and labor and delivery  
nurses4  #e4 ,updates to ,military      
,one,source program  7a7 ,in general    
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary shall publish on a publicly  
available website of the ,military      
,one,source program of the ,department  
of ,defense a dedicated webpage that    
includes a comprehensive guide of       
resources available to covered          
beneficiaries1 including-- 7#a7 a list  
of maternal health services that are    
available to covered beneficiaries under
 the ,,tricare program and at military  
medical treatment facilities2  7#b7     
information on mental health counseling1
 pregnancy counseling1 and other        
prepartum and postpartum services1      
including what services are reportable  

or non-reportable for members of the    
,armed ,forces2  7#c7 information on    
prenatal development1 including         
anticipated prenatal appointments and   
available care for covered beneficiaries
 during prenatal development2  7#d7     
information on-- 7,a7 organizations that
 provide services and other resources to
 assist covered beneficiaries with      
maternal health needs and pregnancy     
support services located at1 or in      
vicinity of1 military installations2 and
  7,b7 ,federal1 ,state1 and local      
maternal health care resources that are 
either covered by the ,,tricare program 
or could otherwise be made available to 
a covered beneficiary2  7#e7 information
 on resources to assist covered         
beneficiaries who are pregnant with     
anticipated changes and health          
challenges that result from pregnancy1  
including information on anticipated    
postnatal appointments1 available       
postnatal care for covered              
beneficiaries1 and post-birth           

instructions specific to covered        
beneficiaries2  7#f7 information on     
financial assistance available to       
covered beneficiaries to support        
pregnancy needs2  7#g7 a best practice  
guide for smooth continuity of pregnancy
 care during a permanent change of      
station2 and  7#h7 information specific 
to pregnant members of the ,armed       
,forces1 including leave options and    
regulations1 career field specific      
information and restrictions1 physical  
fitness requirements1 and uniform       
resources and requirements4  7b7        
,limitations ,the guide required by     
subsection 7a7 may not include          
information1 references1 or resources on
 abortion4  7c7 ,training ,the          
,secretary shall provide training to    
military and family life counselors     
available through the ,military         
,one,source program on addressing the   
non-medical needs of covered            
beneficiaries who are pregnant4  7d7    
,notification of pregnancy ,the         

,secretary shall notify the head of the 
,military ,one,source program when a    
covered beneficiary makes the ,secretary
 aware of a pregnancy4  7e7 ,plan ,not  
later than #edj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall develop and submit to  
,congress a plan for the ,secretary to  
disseminate to beneficiaries of the     
,military ,one,source program the guide 
required by subsection 7a74