Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act
Sponsored By: Senator Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced
Summary
Protect pregnant people, infants, and new mothers from climate-related health risks. This bill would create a coordinated set of programs to identify climate threats, fund local responses, train health professionals, and boost research to reduce harms and racial disparities.
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- Families and vulnerable individuals: Local consortia could get direct supports such as air conditioning, weatherization, housing help, evacuation and transportation support, cooling shelters, and mental health counseling. Ten competitive community grants would be awarded to reach high-risk counties and areas with racial and ethnic disparities.
- Health professions and providers: Medical, nursing, midwifery, and related training programs could get grants to add education on climate risks, counseling, mitigation strategies, and bias reduction to curricula so providers better serve pregnant and perinatal patients.
- Researchers and community groups: NIH would form a Consortium to set research priorities on birth and climate links, highlight data gaps, coordinate across institutes, engage community researchers, and publish annual findings.
*Authorizes $105 million total for fiscal years 2027–2030: $100 million for the community grant program and $5 million for the education program.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Maps of climate risks for moms and babies
If enacted, HHS (through CDC) would publish a Strategy within 18 months to map subcounty and census-tract areas at high risk of climate-related harms to pregnant people and young children. The Strategy would list the data and indicators to use, identify monitoring gaps and funding needs, coordinate with EPA and NOAA, and require at least 240 days' public notice plus a 90-day comment period before publication. HHS would post the Strategy, comments, and responses on a public website.
Help for pregnant people and babies
If enacted, the bill would create a competitive HHS grant program to award up to 10 local consortia grants to help pregnant people, those recently pregnant, and children under age 3. Grants would fund direct household supports like air conditioners, filters, weatherization, short-term financial and housing help, eviction-avoidance measures, transportation and evacuation assistance, cooling shelters, and mental health counseling. The program would give priority to high-risk counties and must address racial and ethnic disparities. The statute authorizes funding and would require HHS to set up the program within 180 days and disburse awards over multiple years.
Research on climate risks for moms and babies
If enacted, the NIH Director would establish a Consortium on Birth and Climate Change Research within one year to coordinate and set priorities for research on climate risks to pregnant people and children under age 3. The Consortium would identify research gaps, promote community-based studies and diverse investigators, consult other federal agencies, and publish annual reports on an NIH website.
Training health workers on climate
If enacted, HHS would set up a competitive grant program within one year to help accredited health profession schools add training on climate-related risks for pregnant people and children under 3. Eligible programs would include medical, nursing, midwifery, physician assistant, residency and similar programs. The bill would authorize $5 million for the program for fiscal years 2027–2030, require grantee reporting, and require HHS to report to Congress within six years.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov