(This site will be updated regularly.)
February 09, 2024
This is an update on our activities and plans.
Rep. Reynolds and her team are hard at work at the Capitol in the first week of the 2024 short session, but our eyes are looking toward 2025 for landmark legislation aimed at promoting and supporting holistic health and well-being for pregnant people and their babies through 12 months of age.
We have big, audacious goals with this legislation, including improving prenatal care, substance use disorder treatment, expansion of doula care, increasing culturally specific services, and promoting early relational health. We are currently working on creating a scaffolding with policy experts that can help us think about payment and structures that would allow us to leverage Medicaid dollars to accomplish some of these goals. We are also spending our time identifying community groups and government agencies to invite to this process as we progress toward a bill or a series of bills. Furthermore, we recently met with the new director of the Oregon Health Authority, Dr. Sejal Hathi, to let her know our plans. She is very supportive and wants to be involved!
As we write, Rep. Reynolds is working to pass a bill to support the Nurse-Family Partnership (HB 4105), calling on state funds (in place of county funds) to support their current level of services, expand to more families, and provide a pathway for the program to expand to all counties in Oregon.
As we move forward with Momnibus planning, we will be hosting meetings after the busy short session for more specific feedback and policy planning with all our stakeholders.
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December 2024
Where We’re Headed
Our vision is to make Oregon the best and most equitable place in which to grow up.
One important step is Momnibus 2025, which seeks to provide comprehensive healthcare and wrap-around services from the prenatal period through baby’s first 12 months (and 12 months postpartum).
Where We Are Now: Oregon Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Report
53% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable and half of pregnancy-related deaths were due to mental health issues and/or substance use disorders.
Report Recommendations call for an increase culturally specific services, expansion of doula care, improved access to behavioral health services, and closer study of pregnancy-related deaths (autopsy).
Proposal
Introduce a “Momnibus” bill (or series of bills) in the 2025 legislative session, to improve, streamline, and expand services for mothers, children, and families in the prenatal, delivery, postpartum/infancy period. We plan to leverage Medicaid dollars, which enjoy a significant federal match, and a waiver that allows us to use these funds for housing, nutrition, and climate-related health effects.
Process
We want this to be a collaborative and community-involved bill package. Please fill out this contact form to indicate your interest in being involved in Momnibus 2025.
So far: Launch Meeting on Nov 15, 2023
We had an enlightening launch meeting in November, with over 100 participants, featuring presentations from local experts who are doing the work. Take a look at the materials from our launch meeting: the agenda, our office's slides, Desha Reed-Holden's slides on the Portland Tri-County Black Futures Initiative, and Matthew Richardson's slides on Nurse Family Partnership. You can watch the recording of the November 15th Launch Meeting here (password to watch: rQ!+6b$e).
Next steps
We are looking toward a January meeting, and perhaps a steering committee. Rep. Reynolds is regularly meeting with stakeholders, service providers, people with lived experience, etc. Again, if you’d like to be involved, fill out this form. And if you have any questions, please email our office at Rep.LisaReynolds@oregonlegislature.gov. Also, consider signing up for Rep. Reynolds’ newsletter.
