HB688, titled the Standing with Moms Act, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and maintain a public website, life.gov, and an interactive portal designed to give pregnant women tailored information about available resources. The site would compile federal, state, local, and private services for expecting mothers, including mental health counseling, pregnancy counseling, postpartum services, financial and material assistance, childcare, adoption and foster care resources, and other support services. It would also include information on alternatives to abortion, abortion risks and complications, and child development beginning at conception.
The bill also requires follow-up features, including a mechanism for users to request contact-based outreach, a plan for HHS staff to provide additional information, and coordination with state resource lists. It would direct states to recommend eligible resources for inclusion in the portal, allow grants to help states build or support resource-aggregation systems, and require the Maternal Mental Health Hotline to promote the website and offer live chat access. The bill further requires multilingual access, a report to Congress on website use and gaps in services, and a prohibition on listing resources from entities that perform, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortion.
If enacted, the bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a new federal program focused on pregnancy resource navigation and maternal support information. It would expand HHS responsibilities by requiring a new website, portal, hotline integration, reporting obligations, and potential state grantmaking, while also imposing eligibility criteria that exclude abortion-related providers from listed resources. The measure would affect HHS operations, state resource coordination, and the organizations eligible to be featured in the federal portal.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the overall posture appears supportive of pregnancy and maternal assistance, with a strong emphasis on directing expecting mothers toward resources and services. The bill’s framing suggests a pro-life orientation, especially through its required abortion-related information and exclusion of abortion providers from the resource list. No recorded votes or transcript discussion are available to show broader bipartisan support or opposition.
The main point of contention is likely the bill’s abortion-related provisions. Supporters would likely view the portal as a maternal support and information tool, while opponents may object to the mandated inclusion of abortion risk information, the definition of abortion and unborn child, and the exclusion of entities that perform, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortion. Another possible issue is the federal government’s role in curating state and private resources and the requirement that states recommend eligible providers for inclusion in the portal.