HB 1195, titled the North Carolina MOMnibus Act, is a broad maternal and infant health package focused on reducing maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, especially among Black women and other underserved populations. The bill creates several grant programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), including a Maternal Care Access Grant Program for community-based organizations, a Perinatal Education Grant Program for rural, underserved, and low-wealth areas, and a Momni-Bus Initiative to expand access to maternal and infant health care and parenting supports in areas with limited or no maternity care services. It also directs funding to HBCUs to recruit, train, and retain a more diverse lactation support workforce and supports a directed grant to the March of Dimes.
The bill also makes major regulatory changes in perinatal care. It requires DHHS to create or identify an evidence-based implicit bias training program for health care professionals involved in perinatal care, in collaboration with Black-led community organizations and an HBCU or similar institution. Health care professionals would have to complete the training on a set schedule tied to licensure or renewal, and licensing authorities could not renew credentials without proof of completion. In addition, the bill creates a statutory bill of rights for perinatal care patients, requiring facilities to provide written notice of patient rights, including nondiscrimination, informed participation in care, pain treatment, and complaint procedures.
HB 1195 would amend state law in Chapter 130A by adding new sections on implicit bias training and perinatal patient rights, while also creating new grant and reporting obligations for DHHS and the University of North Carolina system. It appropriates recurring and nonrecurring General Fund dollars for the various programs, including $5 million recurring for the maternal care access grant program and $2.5 million recurring for implicit bias training, plus additional nonrecurring appropriations for lactation training at HBCUs, perinatal education grants, and the Momni-Bus Initiative. The bill also requires multiple reports to legislative oversight committees and the Fiscal Research Division on spending, program effectiveness, and recommendations for future funding.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of maternal health equity, with an emphasis on dignity, respect, racial disparities, and community-based solutions. Although there were no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the bill’s structure and findings suggest a policy approach aimed at addressing preventable maternal deaths through targeted investment, workforce development, education, and bias reduction. The emphasis on Black women, HBCUs, and culturally respectful care indicates a clear equity-focused intent.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the bill’s cost, the use of recurring and nonrecurring General Fund appropriations, and the mandatory implicit bias training requirement tied to licensure renewal. Some may also question the bill’s race-specific targeting, the scope of DHHS authority, and the administrative burden on health care professionals, licensing boards, and grant recipients. Supporters would likely view these provisions as necessary responses to documented disparities in maternal health outcomes, while critics may focus on implementation, funding priorities, and regulatory reach.
HB 1195 would create new programs and duties within DHHS, add statutory patient rights for perinatal care, and impose mandatory implicit bias training requirements on health care professionals involved in perinatal care. It would also direct new appropriations from the General Fund to DHHS, the UNC Board of Governors, and specific HBCUs, while establishing reporting requirements to legislative oversight committees. The bill would affect community-based organizations, Black-led maternal health providers, lactation support training programs, perinatal facilities, and licensing authorities overseeing health care professionals.
The bill’s overall tone is strongly supportive and remedial, centered on reducing maternal mortality, improving access to care, and addressing racial disparities in maternal and infant health. Its findings and program design reflect a clear policy preference for equity-focused interventions, community-based organizations, and culturally responsive care. No votes or committee debate were provided, but the bill text itself indicates a positive, proactive approach rather than a contested or neutral one.
Likely areas of contention include the bill’s funding levels, especially the recurring appropriations, and whether the state should mandate implicit bias training as a condition of licensure renewal for perinatal care providers. The bill’s explicit focus on Black women and Black-led organizations may also draw debate from those concerned about race-conscious program design or the allocation of state resources. Additional concerns may involve administrative complexity, reporting burdens, and whether the programs and grants will be implemented effectively across different regions of the state.