[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2804. Ms. BUTLER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title VII, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 749A. GAO REPORT ON MATERNITY CARE ACCESS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on 
     programs and activities of the Department of Defense to 
     support the availability and retention of maternity care for 
     members of the Armed Forces and their dependents. Such report 
     shall examine, to the extent data is available--
       (1) the availability of maternity care for members of the 
     Armed Forces and their dependents;
       (2) recent trends in obstetric care unit closures, 
     including at military medical treatment facilities and 
     hospitals that predominantly serve members of the Armed 
     Forces and their dependents;
       (3) what is known about the factors that contribute to 
     obstetric care unit closures at military medical treatment 
     facilities and hospitals that predominantly serve members of 
     the Armed Forces and their dependents;
       (4) what is known about the populations, including racial 
     and ethnic minority groups, disproportionately impacted by 
     obstetric care unit closures at military medical treatment 
     facilities and hospitals that predominantly serve members of 
     the Armed Forces and their dependents;
       (5) what is known about the health outcomes, including 
     maternal mental health and substance use outcomes, associated 
     with obstetric care unit closures at military medical 
     treatment facilities and hospitals that predominantly serve 
     members of the Armed Forces and their dependents;
       (6) the manner in which selected recipients of awards from 
     relevant Federal agencies may utilize such awards to carry 
     out activities that support the availability and retention of 
     maternity care for members of the Armed Forces and their 
     dependents, and any challenges associated with implementing 
     such activities; and
       (7) the activities of the Department of Defense to address 
     obstetric care unit closures and coordinate with the heads of 
     other relevant agencies to support innovative partnerships 
     between accredited freestanding birth centers, hospitals, 
     military medical treatment facilities, other health care 
     settings, maternity care providers, and perinatal health 
     workers.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``freestanding birth center'' has the meaning 
     given such term in section 1905(l)(3) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(3)); and
       (2) the term ``military medical treatment facility'' means 
     military medical treatment facilities described in section 
     1073d of title 10, United States Code.
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