PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S621-626)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 15, 2009
Pregnant Women Support Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to increase public awareness of resources available to pregnant women to carry their pregnancy to term and new parents.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary to make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment for examinations of pregnant women.
Prohibits a health insurance issuer offering individual coverage from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion or a waiting period or otherwise discriminating against a woman on the basis that she is pregnant.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Provides for continuation coverage for newborns.
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to allow states to extend health care coverage to an unborn child.
Requires health facilities that perform abortions to obtain informed consent from a pregnant woman seeking an abortion.
Provides for the collection and dissemination of information on Down syndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions.
Directs the Secretary to provide for: (1) higher education pregnant and parenting student services offices; and (2) programs to work with pregnant or parenting teens to complete high school.
Authorizes grants for services to pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Requires states to require a pregnancy determination for homicide victims.
Requires the Secretary to provide for comprehensive and supportive services for pregnant women, mothers, and children.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC program).
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the eligibility threshold for food stamps.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
Authorizes grants to provide to eligible mothers education on the health needs of their infants through visits to their homes by registered nurses.
Authorizes grants for collecting and reporting abortion surveillance data.
People & committees
Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] · D–PA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S621-626)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S620-621)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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