2026 SESSION

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

26108478D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1353

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Education and Health

on February 26, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Cohen)

A BILL to direct the Commissioner of Health to convene a multidisciplinary work group to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; reports.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Commissioner of Health (the Commissioner) shall convene a multidisciplinary work group to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative to improve antepartum and postpartum outcomes through patient education, wristband identification or similar initiatives, clinical alerts, and community engagement. In addition to the feasibility of such an initiative, the work group shall (i) assess associated costs, funding strategies, and public education needs; (ii) develop a data collection and evaluation framework; and (iii) propose an implementation rollout plan. The work group shall include representatives from the Department of Health, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Virginia Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the Virginia Midwives Alliance, hospitals, third-party payors providing health care insurance or prepaid coverage, public health experts, clinical experts, and patient and community advocates. The Commissioner shall submit an interim report of the work group by November 1, 2026, and a final report with the work group's recommendations no later than July 1, 2027, to the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Commission on Women's Health.