H.R.3235 - More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act; MOMS Act (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.3235, the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act (MOMS Act), aims to amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to provide resources and support for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as women parenting young children. The bill establishes a federal clearinghouse of resources, improves access to prenatal and postnatal care, and addresses child support enforcement on behalf of unborn children. It also includes provisions related to telehealth and support for pregnancy support centers.
Expected Effects
The MOMS Act would create a centralized online resource (pregnancy.gov) for women, offering information on various services and support systems. It would also expand access to prenatal and postnatal telehealth care and modify child support enforcement to include unborn children. The Act could potentially shift resources towards specific types of support services, while restricting funding to entities that perform or refer for abortions.
Potential Benefits
- Centralized Resource: The pregnancy.gov website could provide a valuable, easily accessible resource for pregnant women and new mothers.
- Increased Access to Telehealth: Grants for telehealth equipment could improve access to prenatal and postnatal care, especially in rural and underserved areas.
- Support for Pregnancy Support Centers: Listing funding opportunities could help these centers expand their services.
- Child Support for Unborn Children: Establishing child support obligations from conception could provide financial support to mothers during pregnancy.
- Focus on Alternatives to Abortion: The Act emphasizes support for carrying pregnancies to term and caring for babies after birth.
Most Benefited Areas:
Potential Disadvantages
- Limited Scope of Resources: The definition of "prohibited entity" could exclude organizations that offer a full range of reproductive health services, potentially limiting access to comprehensive care information.
- Potential for Bias: The emphasis on pregnancy support centers, which often promote alternatives to abortion, could lead to biased information being presented on pregnancy.gov.
- Enforcement Challenges: Enforcing child support obligations for unborn children could present legal and logistical challenges.
- Privacy Concerns: Collecting user contact information for outreach could raise privacy concerns, even with consent.
- Potential for Discrimination: The focus on certain types of support could inadvertently discriminate against women who choose abortion or need access to a wider range of reproductive health services.
Most Disadvantaged Areas:
Constitutional Alignment
The MOMS Act raises some constitutional considerations. The emphasis on certain types of resources and the exclusion of entities that provide abortion services could be viewed as potentially infringing on the First Amendment rights related to freedom of speech and association. The provisions related to child support for unborn children could raise questions about the legal status of a fetus and its rights under the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, so the degree of federal involvement in family law and healthcare is a consideration.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).