Bill Overview
Title: Standing with Moms Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disseminate information about pregnancy-related resources. Specifically, HHS must maintain a public website (life.gov) that lists such resources that are available through federal, state, and local governments and private entities. Additionally, HHS must maintain on its website a portal that provides a user, based on the user's responses to a series of questions, tailored information about pregnancy resources available in the user's zip code and risks related to abortion. HHS must develop a plan to conduct follow-up outreach to users of the portal (if the user consents to the outreach). States must recommend resources that meet criteria set by HHS for including through the portal. HHS may award grants to states to establish or support a system that aggregates resources to include on the portal. Further, the Health Resources and Services Administration must share information about life.gov and the portal through the Maternal Mental Health Hotline. HHS must also ensure that the life.gov website and hotline are available to families who speak languages other than English. The bill excludes from life.gov, the portal, and the hotline resources provided by entities that (1) perform, induce, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortions; or (2) financially support such entities. The bill also requires HHS to report on traffic to life.gov and the portal, gaps in services available to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and related matters.
Sponsors: Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]
Target Audience
Population: Pregnant individuals and their families globally
Estimated Size: 20000000
- Approximately 140 million people are born every year globally, suggesting a large pool of individuals could be impacted by the dissemination of pregnancy-related information.
- The availability and accessibility of pregnancy resources could affect not only pregnant individuals but also their partners and families, potentially doubling or tripling the number impacted.
- This bill aims to provide resources to portions of the global population who may be underserved or lack access to pregnancy-related information, reaching up to a billion people if broadly successful.
- Data should be disseminated to all regions, accounting for the need in regions with higher birth rates and limited access to healthcare.
Reasoning
- The population targeted by this policy includes pregnant individuals, their partners, families, and potentially healthcare providers involved in maternal care. The policy does not directly offer new physical resources but intends to bridge information gaps.
- The budget constraints imply that the dissemination strategy emphasizes digital reach, likely through development and maintenance of the life.gov website and related outreach programs. This should allow for fairly wide coverage but limits direct material assistance.
- The policy's emphasis on non-abortion-related resources may appeal to certain demographics while potentially alienating others who feel comprehensive reproductive information is needed.
- A commonness score of 1 to 20 helps understand how typical or atypical these interviewees' situations are, helping gauge how representative they are of the general or impacted population.
Simulated Interviews
Elementary school teacher (Austin, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I appreciate the idea of having resources all in one place, especially since I'm planning for my first child.
- It might be useful to have this information available in Spanish as well.
- I'm concerned about the lack of abortion-related resources as I think it's important to know all options.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 2 |
College student (Fresno, CA)
Age: 20 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to information while being in college could be helpful, but I'm worried about missing out on important services like Planned Parenthood.
- I appreciate the language resources, as my parents primarily speak Spanish.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 2 | 1 |
Automotive engineer (Detroit, MI)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's helpful to consolidate pregnancy resources in one place, though my partner and I already use many.
- Would be good if the website also helped with navigating insurance options.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Public health worker (Omaha, NE)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could help streamline support services for expecting mothers, which is part of my job's focus.
- However, excluding certain resources isn't reflective of the full spectrum of needs my clients have.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Software developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Interesting to see this level of digital initiative in healthcare.
- Would be beneficial if open to more comprehensive reproductive health services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 3 |
Stay-at-home dad (Memphis, TN)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to consolidated information on pregnancy and parenting is always good for big families like mine.
- However, I'd like more practical support rather than just information.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Non-profit manager (Richmond, VA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The focus on disseminating information is crucial, but inclusion of services like abortion is necessary.
- I'm glad the policy considers language accessibility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Small business owner (Bismarck, ND)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see potential value in the proposed website, though being a business owner I have limited time to look up resources.
- Excluding abortion resources means it doesn't serve all of my needs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 2 |
Medical resident (Chicago, IL)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The information dissemination is good, especially for patients I encounter.
- Offering broader resource options would be more beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Community Organizer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Language-inclusive resources are critical, but excluding abortion-related services could be a downside for the communities I support.
- I see a gap in what's being offered.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 2 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 3: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The requirement for multilingual capabilities will ensure broader accessibility.
- State cooperation and willingness to participate in grants and resource sharing is crucial for the portal's success.
- Monitoring and evaluating the quality of resources included in the portal will be essential to maintain public trust and service reliability.