Kira Johnson Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4195
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-25: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-13T13:51:24Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Kira Johnson Act (S. 4195) aims to reduce maternal deaths and serious health complications during and after pregnancy, with a focus on Black pregnant and postpartum individuals and other underserved groups. It promotes training in respectful maternity care (care that respects patients' dignity, culture, and experiences) and works to eliminate bias, racism, and discrimination in maternity care settings.
Key Provisions
- Grants for Community-Based Organizations (Sec. 2): Awards $100 million annually (FY 2027–2031) to community groups to expand programs improving maternal health equity. Prioritizes organizations in high-risk communities, led by affected groups, and offering evidence-based services like mental health support, health education, midwifery, and aid during formula shortages. Includes 1-year outreach/technical assistance period and a 2031 evaluation report to Congress.
- Respectful Maternity Care Training Grants (Sec. 3): Adds a new section to the Public Health Service Act authorizing $5 million annually (FY 2027–2031) for training programs on bias reduction, cultural humility, trauma-informed care (care sensitive to past trauma), and anti-racism. Targets all maternity care staff (e.g., doctors, admins, security). Requires annual grantee reports and Secretary's best-practices report.
- National Academies Study (Sec. 4): Contracts for a study (due within 24 months) on effective programs to reduce bias in maternity care, including evaluation tools and optimal training types/frequency.
- Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs (Sec. 5): Grants to hospitals and birth settings for programs allowing reports of bias/racism, response mechanisms, public strategies, data collection, and annual reporting to HHS. HHS must disseminate best practices, evaluate effectiveness, and conduct a 2-year study on accountability.
- GAO Reports (Sec. 6): Annual reports starting 2 years post-enactment on compliance program adoption, impacts, barriers, and funding needs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Inserts new Section 742 into Part B of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293 et seq.), creating a dedicated grant program for comprehensive maternity care training.
- Introduces novel federal mandates for bias-reporting systems, public transparency on hospital strategies, and routine data collection on patient experiences in maternity settings—previously not required.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS gains responsibilities for grant administration, technical assistance, studies, evaluations, and reporting; requires new processes within 90–180 days. GAO conducts ongoing oversight. Authorizes ~$525 million total (plus "such sums as necessary" for Sec. 5).
- Citizens: Could improve health outcomes and experiences for pregnant/postpartum people, especially racial/ethnic minorities and underserved groups, by addressing disparities through community support, training, and accountability. May increase access to culturally appropriate care.
- International Relations: None.
Main Stakeholders
- Pregnant and postpartum individuals, particularly Black and racial/ethnic minority groups, and their families.
- Community-based organizations serving high-risk communities.
- Maternity care providers (hospitals, health systems, staff including non-clinical roles), midwives, and perinatal health workers.
- Federal agencies (HHS, National Academies, GAO).
- Educational institutions (e.g., health professions schools, HBCUs, minority-serving institutions).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes enforceable reporting and transparency requirements for grant recipients; defines terms like "postpartum" (1 year post-pregnancy) and "culturally and linguistically congruent" (matching patient preferences). Enables future accountability mechanisms via studies.
- Constitutional: Involves federal spending power for grants/studies; no direct mandates on private entities beyond grant conditions.
- Political: Emphasizes equity in addressing documented maternal health disparities; prioritizes race/ethnicity in funding considerations, potentially sparking debate on targeted interventions vs. universal approaches.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-25: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2026-03-25: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Kira Johnson Act — issued 2026-03-25 — PDF (20 pages)