A Democratic bill with 62 Democratic cosponsors · See all 62 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Kira Johnson Act aims to end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity while closing health outcome disparities. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to community-based organizations to advance maternal health equity. It also provides funding for training programs designed to reduce bias, racism, and discrimination in maternity care settings. Additionally, the Act establishes a compliance program for hospitals and health systems to handle reports of bias and racism. Finally, it mandates studies by the National Academies and the GAO to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +8
Would women be better off under this?
The bill directly aims to reduce preventable maternal mortality and improve the quality of pregnancy and postpartum care.
- Scored +8
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The bill provides funding and training specifically designed to reduce racism and bias in maternity care settings.
- Scored +7
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
The bill targets maternal health disparities that disproportionately impact Black communities through dedicated grants.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for Community Organizations: The Secretary will award grants to community-based organizations to establish or expand programs that improve maternal health outcomes for demographic groups facing higher risks (Section 2(a)).
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Expanded Maternal Services: Grants may support various critical needs, including maternal mental health, substance use disorder treatments, pregnancy and parenting education, and support for individuals who have suffered pregnancy loss (Section 2(e)(2)).
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Midwifery Support: The bill provides for the expansion of midwifery practices, including financial support for education, training, and certification (Section 2(e)(2)(x)).
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Improved Care Standards: Funding is authorized for programs to promote respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent, and trauma-informed care in maternity settings (Section 3(a)).
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Accountability for Patients: The creation of a respectful maternity care compliance program allows patients and their families to report instances of racism or bias and receive a follow-up response (Section 5(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Reporting Requirements: Recipients of grants for compliance programs must provide annual reports to the Secretary containing deidentified demographic information and details regarding reported cases of bias or racism (Section 5(b)(5)).
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Potential Implementation Burdens: Hospitals and health systems establishing a compliance program are required to institutionalize specific mechanisms for reporting, response, and public strategy development (Section 5(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill directly aims to reduce preventable maternal mortality and improve the quality of pregnancy and postpartum care. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill targets maternal health disparities that disproportionately impact Black communities through dedicated grants. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill emphasizes culturally and linguistically congruent care for racial and ethnic minority groups.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill funds community-based organizations to expand maternal health programs and midwifery services. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill prioritizes grants for programs that promote maternal mental health.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill provides funding and training specifically designed to reduce racism and bias in maternity care settings.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill supports the expansion of midwifery practices through education and training funding.
- 8/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/9/2026
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- 3/25/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 55 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Joyce BeattyDemocrat · Ohio
Nanette BarragánDemocrat · California
Nikki BudzinskiDemocrat · Illinois
Wesley BellDemocrat · Missouri
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Angie CraigDemocrat · Minnesota
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormickDemocrat · Florida
Herbert ConawayDemocrat · New Jersey
Suzan DelBeneDemocrat · Washington
Debbie DingellDemocrat · Michigan
Madeleine DeanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Shomari FiguresDemocrat · Alabama
Al GreenDemocrat · Texas
John GaramendiDemocrat · California
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey
Jesús GarcíaDemocrat · Illinois
Adelita GrijalvaDemocrat · Arizona
Steven HorsfordDemocrat · Nevada
Jahana HayesDemocrat · Connecticut
Glenn IveyDemocrat · Maryland
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Sara JacobsDemocrat · California
Jonathan JacksonDemocrat · Illinois
Julie JohnsonDemocrat · Texas
Raja KrishnamoorthiDemocrat · Illinois
Sydney Kamlager-DoveDemocrat · California
Ted LieuDemocrat · California
George LatimerDemocrat · New York
Gwen MooreDemocrat · Wisconsin
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Morgan McGarveyDemocrat · Kentucky
Kevin MullinDemocrat · California
Jennifer McClellanDemocrat · Virginia
LaMonica McIverDemocrat · New Jersey
Christian MenefeeDemocrat · Texas
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Ayanna PressleyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Robert ScottDemocrat · Virginia
Adam SmithDemocrat · Washington
David ScottDemocrat · Georgia
Marilyn StricklandDemocrat · Washington
Terri SewellDemocrat · Alabama
Bradley SchneiderDemocrat · Illinois
Darren SotoDemocrat · Florida
Mary Gay ScanlonDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Melanie StansburyDemocrat · New Mexico
Emilia SykesDemocrat · Ohio
Andrea SalinasDemocrat · Oregon
Paul TonkoDemocrat · New York
Mark TakanoDemocrat · California
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Lauren UnderwoodDemocrat · Illinois
Juan VargasDemocrat · California
Marc VeaseyDemocrat · Texas
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia
Frederica WilsonDemocrat · Florida
Bonnie Watson ColemanDemocrat · New Jersey