S. 4149 — Social Determinants for Moms Act

This section establishes a Task Force, convened by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop strategies and coordinate efforts among federal agencies and stakeholders to eliminate preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health disparities, including clinical and nonclinical causes. The Task Force includes 17 specified ex officio members (or designees) from HHS, other cabinet departments, and federal agencies (e.g., Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Agriculture, and Labor; EPA Administrator; CMS Administrator; CDC Director); the HHS Secretary may appoint additional members such as patient representatives, leaders of community-based organizations focused on racial and ethnic disparities (with priority to those from high-risk demographics), Tribal health leaders, perinatal health workers, maternity care providers, and other maternal health experts; and the Secretary selects the chair from Task Force members. The Task Force may address topics such as barriers to prenatal and postpartum care, housing access, food and perinatal necessities in food deserts, environmental risks, drop-in childcare, postpartum needs, public-private partnerships, intimate partner violence, and others. Not later than two years after enactment and annually thereafter, the Task Force must submit to Congress and publish on the HHS website a report on its efforts, actions by ex officio members, federal funding and authority recommendations, non-federal stakeholder actions, and related matters. (As a new advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Task Force terminates after two years unless renewed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1013.)

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities—such as community-based organizations, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, Urban Indian organizations, public health departments, nonprofits partnering with such entities, or consortia including at least one such entity—to address social determinants of maternal health (e.g., housing, transportation, nutrition, employment, environmental conditions, intimate partner violence) aimed at eliminating maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and disparities, with priority for high-risk, high-poverty areas. The Secretary must provide technical assistance for post-grant program sustainability; grantees must submit annual public reports on activities and disaggregated outcomes (by race, ethnicity, etc.) starting one year after receiving funds; and the Secretary must report to Congress by the end of FY2031 with a summary and recommendations for future grants. The section authorizes $100,000,000 for each of FY2027 through FY2031.