HB1353 • 2026

Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report.

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

Education Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Cohen
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report.

Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports.

What This Bill Does

Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports.
Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, described in the bill, to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative.
The bill directs the Commissioner to 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.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB1353AHC1

2026-02-03

Health and Human Services Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/03/2026 HB 1353 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/03/2026 HB 1353 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
Line 16, introduced, after Association, insert the Medical Society of Virginia,

HB1353AHC2

2026-02-03 • Committee

Health Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: 2/03/2026 HB 1353 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

2/03/2026 HB 1353 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
Line 16, introduced, after Association, insert the Medical Society of Virginia,

HB1353AH1

2026-02-05 • Committee

Health and Human Services Amendment

Plain English: 2/05/2026 HB 1353 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 1.

2/05/2026 HB 1353 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 1.
Line 16, introduced, after Association, insert the Medical Society of Virginia,

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 781 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0781)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0781)
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353)
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 House
Enrolled
2026-03-30 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1353ER)
2026-03-11 House
Senate substitute agreed to by House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2026-03-10 Education and Health
Education and Health Substitute agreed to
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-09 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-06 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
2026-03-03 Education and Health
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353)
2026-02-27 Education and Health
Committee substitute printed 26108478D-S1
2026-02-26 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-24 Health
Assigned Education sub: Health
2026-02-24 Health
Senate subcommittee offered
2026-02-12 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-12 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
2026-02-12 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353)
2026-02-11 House
Read third time and passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-11 House
Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
2026-02-11 House
Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-10 House
Read second time
2026-02-10 House
committee amendment agreed to
2026-02-10 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-02-09 House
Read first time
2026-02-05 Health and Human Services
Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-03 Health
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-03 Health
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
2026-01-30 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353)
2026-01-23 Health
Assigned sub: Health
2026-01-19 House
Presented and ordered printed 26104986D
2026-01-19 Health and Human Services
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

Official Summary Text

Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports.
Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, described in the bill, to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative. The bill directs the Commissioner to 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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act 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.