Committee Passes Reschenthaler, Bass Legislation to Support Pregnant Prisoners and their Babies
WASHINGTON. D.C. – Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved H.R. 6878, the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2022, legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) and Karen Bass (CA-37) to establish a national standard of prenatal and post-delivery care for incarcerated women and their babies. Similar legislation introduced by Reps. Reschenthaler and Bass passed the House by a unanimous vote during the 116th Congress.
"The number of incarcerated women and girls has grown by more than 700 percent over three decades, yet there is no national standard of care for pregnant prisoners,” said Rep. Reschenthaler. “This bipartisan legislation will protect mothers and babies by guaranteeing access to prenatal care and post-delivery support. I urge House leadership to bring this bill to the floor so we can secure better outcomes for incarcerated women and their babies.”
“By sending the Pregnant Women In Custody Act to the House floor, we take another step towards providing the basic necessities for tens of thousands of women in our criminal justice system,” said Rep. Bass. “By providing safeguards and establishing a national standard of care for pregnant woman in prison, we will decrease barriers to accessing appropriate medical care. I am proud of our work in the Judiciary Committee in voting to send this bipartisan bill to the House floor, and will continue to advocate for reexamining our country’s practice of incarcerating pregnant women.”
The Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act would:
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Provide pregnant prisoners access to prenatal and post-delivery care and support.
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Ensure the Federal Bureau of Prisons captures accurate data on the physical and mental health care needs of pregnant prisoners.
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Provide incentives for states to enact and enforce similar laws and policies.
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Require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on current practices for pregnant prisoners in state and local jails and prisons.
This legislation is endorsed by the American Psychological Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), DreamCorps (formerly #Cut50), Vera Institute for Justice, R Street Institute, and American Conservative Union.
The full text of the bill can be viewed here.
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