House to vote Thursday on maternal health legislation
Photo | Courtesy of Chris Lisinski, State House News Service
The Massachusetts State House
Pregnant people and those who recently gave birth could gain access to expanded care options in Massachusetts under compromise maternal health legislation released Wednesday.
The conference committee accord, which House lead negotiator Rep. Marjorie Decker filed Wednesday afternoon, is the first piece of legislation to emerge from closed-door talks after Beacon Hill lawmakers ended formal sessions this month with major bills left unfinished.
Decker told reporters the House will take up the bill during an informal session Thursday.
The House and Senate had passed largely similar omnibus maternal health bills, each unanimously, creating a pathway to licensure for certified professional midwives, eliminating regulatory barriers for opening birth centers for low-risk pregnancies, boosting access to postpartum depression screenings, and expanding resources for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, among other provisions. But lawmakers did not leave enough time to hash out differences by July 31.
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