Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4356
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-21: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-04T16:08:37Z
AI-Generated Summary
Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act (S. 4356)
Purpose
The legislation aims to safeguard pregnant women, new mothers (up to one year postpartum), and infants under age 3—termed "vulnerable individuals"—from health risks linked to climate change, such as extreme heat, air pollution, and severe weather events. These risks can lead to poor health outcomes like preterm birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, maternal or infant death, and serious pregnancy-related complications (severe maternal morbidity).
Key Provisions
- Grant Program for Protection Initiatives (Sec. 3):
- Establishes a competitive grant program awarding funds to 10 consortia (covered entities) serving specific high-risk counties.
- Funds ($100 million authorized for FY 2027–2030, over 4 years) support identifying risks, training health providers and non-clinical perinatal health workers (e.g., doulas, community health workers), monitoring local data, providing items like air conditioners or financial aid, and community mitigation efforts (e.g., tree planting, cooling shelters).
- Prioritizes areas with poor air quality, high social vulnerability, extreme heat, elevated maternal health issues, or natural disaster risks; targets racial/ethnic disparities; requires avoiding unintended harms like displacement or rent hikes.
- Includes annual reporting, technical assistance, and a 5-year evaluation report to Congress.
- Education and Training Grants for Health Schools (Sec. 4):
- Competitive grants to health profession schools (e.g., medical, nursing, midwifery programs; $5 million authorized for FY 2027–2030).
- Funds curriculum development on climate risks, disparities, patient counseling, bias, and access to services; requires engagement with vulnerable groups.
- Schools submit annual and final reports; Secretary reports to Congress after 6 years.
- NIH Consortium on Birth and Climate Change Research (Sec. 5):
- Creates a coordinating body across NIH institutes to prioritize research on climate risks for vulnerable individuals, focusing on disparities; identifies data gaps, funding opportunities, and awareness efforts.
- Consults federal agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA), stakeholders, and publishes annual reports.
- Strategy for Identifying High-Risk Zones (Sec. 6):
- CDC Director develops a plan within 18 months to map areas with elevated climate-related maternal/infant health risks, considering factors like pollution, healthcare access, poverty, and demographics.
- Incorporates existing tools/data, identifies monitoring gaps, and includes public comment; published online.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces entirely new programs: No amendments to prior laws; creates fresh grant authorities, an NIH consortium, and a CDC mapping strategy.
- Builds on existing definitions (e.g., from Higher Education Act, Public Health Service Act) but expands focus to climate-maternal health links.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS (Secretary, NIH, CDC) gains new duties for grants, research coordination, and mapping; requires interagency collaboration (e.g., EPA, NOAA); authorizes $105 million total, subject to appropriation.
- Citizens: Improves services, training, and awareness in targeted high-risk, underserved areas; may reduce health disparities for racial/ethnic minorities and low-income groups through direct aid and better preparedness.
- International Relations: None directly addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Vulnerable Individuals: Pregnant/postpartum women and young infants, especially in racial/ethnic minority groups and underserved communities.
- Covered Entities/Grantees: Consortia of community organizations, local governments, health providers (hospitals, birth centers), tribes, Urban Indian organizations, and universities.
- Health Profession Schools: Accredited programs training doctors, nurses, midwives, etc.
- Federal/State/Local Entities: HHS components, EPA, NOAA, public health departments, emergency agencies.
- Stakeholder Organizations: Nonprofits, patient advocates, and community groups focused on maternal health, environmental justice.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on Congress's spending power for competitive grants with strict reporting/oversight; emphasizes equity and science-based decisions; no private right of action implied.
- Constitutional: Standard federal grant-making under commerce and spending clauses; prioritizes disparities without mandating race-based actions.
- Political: Links climate policy to maternal/infant health equity; could spark debate on funding priorities, science use, and interagency roles; limited to 10 grants, suggesting pilot-scale.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-21: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2026-04-21: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act — issued 2026-04-21 — PDF (29 pages)