“While some of our colleagues are focused almost exclusively on controlling what happens inside the womb, Democrats in the House and Senate have consistently put forward legislation that helps families and their children to live safe, healthy and productive lives,” said Sen. Sarah McBride, chair of the Senate Health & Social Service Committee. “The bills we passed today and throughout this legislative session will continue that work by improving maternal health and protecting children from abuse.”
House Bills 340, 343 and 344 are part of the seven-blll Momnibus legislative package sponsored by Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown in March. The first two passed unanimously in both chambers. The last bill, HB 344, passed the House unanimously, but six Republican Senators enjoy racial bias and didn’t think it was a good idea to fight against it.
HB 340 will revamp the Child Death Review Commission to include greater focus on maternal health concerns. The Commission would be renamed the Maternal and Child Death Review Commission to reflect its existing dual focus. The definition of “maternal death” would also be updated and the Commission would reflect diverse membership to include a midwife and one maternal and one child advocate from statewide non-profit organizations. To enhance transparency, the group would be required to publicly post its draft report and accept written public comment.
“This Maternal and Child Death Review Commission provides an opportunity to make a significant impact on maternal health and outcomes for all women, but especially those who now need it most,” said Rep. Minor-Brown. “Data has shown an alarming rate of maternal mortality locally and nationally. The death rate for Black women and their babies are two to three times higher than the rate for White women, and many of these cases are preventable. We can and will do better.”
“Far too many women suffer from pregnancy complications that can lead to injury or death,” said Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, the Senate prime sponsor of HB 340. “By reviewing the data, studying patterns, and investigating the causes of maternal deaths, we can better identify solutions and mobilize to enact them.”
| House Bill 340 Sponsors | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| Minor-Brown, Dorsey Walker, Heffernan, Baumbach, Bolden, Morrison, Wilson-Anton | House Passed 41-0. Baumbach Bennett Bentz Bolden Freel Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Heffernan K.Johnson K.Williams Kowalko Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Mitchell Morrison Osienski S.Moore Schwartzkopf Wilson-Anton Briggs King Collins D.Short Dukes Gray Hensley M.Smith Morris Postles Ramone Shupe Smyk Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick | |
| Townsend, Lockman, McBride, Brown, Gay, Hansen, Sokola | Senate Passes 21-0. Brown Ennis Gay Hansen Lockman Mantzavinos Paradee Pinkney Poore S.McBride Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh Bonini Hocker Lawson Lopez Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson | |
| Current Status: | Sent to the Governor |
HB 343 will require the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance to present a plan to the General Assembly by November 1 for coverage of doula services by Medicaid providers. The services would be provided by a trained doula designed to provide physical, emotional, and educational support to pregnant and birthing persons before, during, and after childbirth. This would include support and assistance during labor and childbirth, prenatal and postpartum support and education, breastfeeding assistance, and parenting education.
The bill goes hand in hand with the recently passed House Bill 234, which would require the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance to expand Medicaid coverage to pregnant women from the current coverage of 60 days from the end of pregnancy under federal Medicaid regulations to 12 months from the end of pregnancy.
“Too many disorders manifest during pregnancy and can impact a woman’s health for a lifetime,” Rep. Minor-Brown said. “Midwives and doulas are advocates that provide much needed additional support for women. Implementing coverage of doula services will make a huge impact on families especially in the face of maternal mortality rates, ensuring that people get the resources they need.”
“Our nation has the highest rate of pregnancy-related mortality of high-income countries and, here in Delaware, the infant mortality rate for Black babies is more than twice the rate for White babies,” said Sen. Marie Pinkney, the Senate prime sponsor of both HB 234 and HB 343. “Taken together, these two bills will help to reverse those trends by breaking down some of the barriers that families face when it comes to receiving the support and treatment we know can save lives.”
| House Bill 343 Sponsors | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| Minor-Brown, Dorsey Walker, Heffernan, Baumbach, Bolden, Morrison, Wilson-Anton | House Passed 40-0-1. Baumbach Bennett Bentz Bolden Freel Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Heffernan K.Johnson K.Williams Kowalko Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Mitchell Morrison Osienski S.Moore Schwartzkopf Wilson-Anton Briggs King Collins D.Short Dukes Gray Hensley M.Smith Morris Postles Ramone Smyk Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick | Absent: Shupe |
| Pinkney, Townsend, Lockman, McBride, Brown, Gay, Hansen, Sokola | Senate Passes 21-0. Brown Ennis Gay Hansen Lockman Mantzavinos Paradee Pinkney Poore S.McBride Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh Bonini Hocker Lawson Lopez Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson | |
| Current Status: | Sent to the Governor. |
House Bill 344 would provide licensed healthcare professionals and other healthcare staff with strategies for understanding and reducing the impact of their biases in order to reduce disparate outcomes and ensure that all patients receive fair treatment and quality healthcare. The bill would require annual explicit and implicit bias training for health professionals and staff of hospitals and freestanding birthing centers.
“As a nurse and a Black woman, I am extremely aware of the maternal and infant health issues affecting Delaware families, particularly Black mothers and babies,” said Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, the lead House sponsor. “Black women made up one of every four women giving birth in Delaware between 2011 and 2018, but made up half of the mothers who died in childbirth. At 12.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, the Delaware Black infant mortality rate is three times higher than the White infant mortality rate of 4.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
“These are more than statistics; they are mothers and children who leave behind loved ones. These bills are designed to help all Delaware mothers and infants, to improve their outcomes and increase their chances for a successful and healthy pregnancy, birthing process and postpartum. Taken together, these bills will make a huge impact on Delaware families across the state by breaking down barriers to vital healthcare treatment and removing other obstacles that mothers and families have faced.”
The United States has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among high-income countries and wide disparities by race that have been documented since rates separated by race were first published in 1935. Currently, Indigenous and Black women are dying at two to three times the rate of White women, Asian/Pacific Islander women, and Hispanic women.
“As a health care worker and as a Black woman, I am all too aware of the disparities in maternal health outcomes,” said Sen. Marie Pinkney, D-Bear. “Black and Brown women across Delaware and across the nation are disproportionately likely to die during childbirth or experience serious pregnancy-related complications. Every mother — regardless of the color of her skin, her socioeconomic standing, or her zip code — should have the same access to high-quality, equitable prenatal and postpartum health care services. That’s why I am thrilled to join Rep. Minor Brown in championing the Delaware Momnibus, a series of bills aimed at lifting up women and infants.”
Implicit bias impacts treatment decisions and outcomes. Black patients often are prescribed less pain medication than white patients who present the same complaints, and Black patients with signs of heart problems are not referred for advanced cardiovascular procedures as often as white patients with the same symptoms. Women are less likely to survive a heart attack when they are treated by a male physician and surgeon. LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming patients are less likely to seek timely medical care because they experience disrespect and discrimination from health care staff.
| House Bill 344 Sponsors | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| Minor-Brown, Dorsey Walker, Heffernan, Baumbach, Bolden, Morrison, Wilson-Anton | House Passed 41-0. Baumbach Bennett Bentz Bolden Freel Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Heffernan K.Johnson K.Williams Kowalko Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Mitchell Morrison Osienski S.Moore Schwartzkopf Wilson-Anton Briggs King Collins D.Short Dukes Gray Hensley M.Smith Morris Postles Ramone Shupe Smyk Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick | |
| McBride, Townsend, Lockman, Gay, Hansen, Sokola | Senate Passes 15-6. Brown Ennis Gay Hansen Lockman Mantzavinos Paradee Pinkney Poore S.McBride Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh Lopez Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson | Bonini Hocker Lawson Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson |
| Current Status: | Sent to the Governor |
“Despite recent strides to prioritize equity in the medical field, implicit bias still negatively impacts the experience that thousands of patients have in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms across our state,” said Sen. Sarah McBride, D-North Wilmington. “Even the fear of bias in our health care system creates meaningful barriers and often prevents those with marginalized identities from seeking care in the first place. My colleague Rep. Minor-Brown routinely sees the damaging effects that implicit bias has on her patients – from delayed diagnoses, to misdiagnosed symptoms, and mistreatment of illness. That’s why I am honored to co-sponsor HB 344, which would require additional bias training and accreditation for health care professionals and staff across our state.”
HB 344 would take effect January 1, 2023.
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