GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

AMCHP’s policy and advocacy work are guided by AMCHP’s board of directors and our Legislative and Health Care Finance Committee, which is composed of AMCHP members and partners.  Our agenda specifies where we will devote our advocacy resources and highlights key policy and advocacy activities for AMCHP. 

With all that we could do to support state MCH programs and provide national leadership on issues affecting women, children, and families, we use this agenda to make explicit where we will assume leadership and partnership roles in terms of advocacy on an annual basis.

View the policy agenda

The MCH Block Grant, authorized by Title V of the Social Security Act, is the only federal program of its kind devoted solely to improving the health of all women and children in the United States. It is guided by the principles of evidence, flexibility, and results. In FY19, programs funded by the MCH Block Grant served 98% of infants, 92% of pregnant women, and 60% of children nationwide. Title V programs work to increase access to quality health care services and supports for women and children and facilitate health promotion efforts across the lifespan.

Another key component of the MCH Block Grant is the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS). SPRANS funding complements and helps ensure the success of state Title V, Medicaid, and CHIP programs by driving innovation and building capacity to create integrated systems of care for women and children. Examples of innovative projects funded through SPRANS include:

• The State Maternal Health Innovation program 
• Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM)
• Guidelines for well-child care from infancy through adolescence
• Nutrition care during pregnancy and lactation
• Recommended standards for prenatal care
• Successful strategies for the prevention of childhood injuries.

A significant portion of AMCHP’s policy and advocacy work centers on the annual federal appropriations process. Guided by our Federal Policy Agenda, AMCHP works with our members, national partners, and Congress to ensure sufficient funding for critical federal maternal and child health programs, including the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant.

Fiscal Year 2026

AMCHP’s FY26 Funding Ask Sheets

• Title V MCH Block Grant
• CDC Safe Motherhood Portfolio
• CDC SET-NET

Congressional letters supporting funding for various federal maternal and child health programs, including the Title V MCH Block Grant, in FY26:

• Bipartisan Senate letter supporting the Title V MCH Block Grant, Healthy Start, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) Safe Motherhood portfolio, and NIH pregnancy-related research
• Bipartisan House letter supporting the Title V MCH Block Grant, Healthy Start, CDC’s Safe Motherhood portfolio, and NIH pregnancy-related research
• Bipartisan Senate letter supporting programs authorized in the Rural MOMS Act and the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, including the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) Program
• Bipartisan House letter supporting programs authorized in the Rural MOMS Act and the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, including the AIM Program
• Senate letter supporting CDC’s Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies (SET-NET) program
• Bipartisan House letter supporting CDC’s SET-NET program

External organization sign-on letters supporting funding for maternal and child health programs and initiatives in FY26:

• National, state, and academic organization letter supporting the Title V MCH Block Grant
• National, state, and academic organization letter supporting CDC’s SET-NET program

Fiscal Year 2025

For the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations cycle, AMCHP led:

1. Support for funding federal maternal and child health programs
   1. National and academic organization letter on Title V MCH Block Grant
   2. Bipartisan Senate letter on Title V MCH Block Grant, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and National Institutes of Health (NIH)
   3. Bipartisan House letter on Title V MCH Block Grant, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and NIH
   4. Senate letter on Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health and Rural Maternal Health
   5. National and academic organization letter on SPRANS
2. Support for funding the CDC Surveillance for Emerging Threat to Mothers and Babies (SET-NET) initiative:
   1. National and academic organization SET-NET letter
   2. Senate SET-NET letter
   3. Bipartisan House SET-NET letter

Fiscal Year 2024

For the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations cycle, AMCHP led:

1. Support for funding federal maternal and child health programs
   1. National and Academic Organization Letter on Healthy Start
   2. AMCHP Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant: Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Ask Sheet 
   3. AMCHP CDC’s Safe Motherhood Portfolio: Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Ask Sheet
   4. National and academic organization letter on SPRANS
   5. National and academic organization letter on Title V
   6. Bipartisan Senate letter on Title V, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and NIH
   7. Bipartisan House letter on Title V, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and NIH
   8. Bipartisan House letter on Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health and Rural Maternal Health
   9. AMCHP FY24 End-of-Year Appropriations Letter
2. Support for funding the CDC Surveillance for Emerging Threat to Mothers and Babies (SET-NET) initiative:
   • National and academic organization SET-NET letter
   • Senate SET-NET letter
   • Bipartisan House SET-NET letter

Learn more about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health by searching the below table. This page will be updated regularly to track legislation through the 117th Congress. If you experience issues loading the tracker in Internet Explorer, we recommend using Chrome, FireFox or Edge. For questions, comments, or corrections, please email govtaffairs@amchp.org.

Visit the tracker

Join the AMCHP Government Affairs team to learn about the latest updates in federal maternal and child health policy and to hear from our national, federal, and state partners in the AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall Series! We convene the second Thursday of every month, 2-3 pm EST. Register for all scheduled Town Halls.

View past AMCHP Policy & Partnerships Town Hall recordings:

The AMCHP Policy Digest strives to enhance and streamline your awareness of maternal and child health (MCH) policy issues spanning Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judiciary Branch. Within this newsletter, you will find key information and insights on the growing complexities of government affairs, the MCH policy landscape, and AMCHP’s policy and advocacy initiatives.

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