As the youngest woman in the Senate and a mother herself, Sen. Katie Britt understands the challenges of motherhood.

And with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, she introduced legislation that would provide more support for women during some of the more challenging times of motherhood, including before birth, after birth and early childhood development. The bill, called the Expanding Mothers' Opportunities to Succeed Act (MOMS), would also expand the resources and support available to mothers across the country.

“As a mother, I know firsthand that there is no greater blessing in life than a child, and I understand the types of challenges women face during pregnancy and parenting,” said Rep. Britt (R-Montgomery). “I am proud to support women through this time in motherhood, and this bill is further proof that we can be pro-life, pro-women, and pro-family all at the same time.”

“The MOMS Act will promote an inclusive culture of life, grow and strengthen families, and ensure mothers have the opportunities and resources they need to help them and their children thrive and achieve the American Dream.”

Britt, a mother of two, also took to the Yaffe Program to discuss the bill and other similar bills to help mothers.

“I'm a proud pro-lifer and I want every child to have the opportunity to be born,” Britt told Yaffee. “I want to make sure every mother is supported on that journey.”

“I've worked on a few bills, one of which was with Senator LaFonda Butler. We came together to talk about maternal mortality. Alabama actually has the highest maternal mortality rate of any state in the country. I worked with Senator Maggie Haskins on the rural obstetrics bill to ensure pregnant women in rural areas have access to health care.”

Specifically, the MOMS Act:

• Establish a pregnancy.gov – A federal clearinghouse of resources available to pregnant and postpartum mothers, and mothers with young children. This clearinghouse will increase access to adoption agencies, pregnancy resource centers, and other relevant public and private resources available to pregnant women within their zip code and surrounding areas. As part of Pregnancy.gov, HHS will be required to include and maintain a national listing of federal funding opportunities available to nonprofit and health care organizations for pregnancy support.
• Improving access to prenatal and postnatal resources
  The bill would establish a grant program to help nonprofit organizations support, encourage, and assist women in continuing their pregnancies and caring for their babies after birth, as well as provide tools for purchasing needed medical equipment and technology in rural and other underserved areas and for telehealth appointments before and after birth.
• Requires states to apply child support obligations to the period of pregnancy
  The MOMS Act is especially needed in Alabama, where more than one-third of the state's 67 counties are classified as “maternity care deserts,” meaning areas lack access to birthing facilities or obstetric care providers. Last fall, three hospitals in Alabama announced they would close their labor and delivery units. Additionally, Alabama has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, at 64.63 deaths per 100,000.

“This is a new phase in our work to support mothers, and this initial effort includes three titles. I am proud to join Senator (Marco) Rubio and Senator (Kevin) Cramer on this effort,” Britt said. “The three of us have worked together to advance this bill ahead of Mother's Day, and it will establish a new pregnancy.gov, which will ensure that when women realize they're pregnant, they have all the resources available to them right at their fingertips – everything from prenatal care to adoption options.”

“That means consolidating all of this in one place, one information center. We're also establishing two grant programs — providing telehealth visits for women who live in rural communities and supporting women in carrying their pregnancies to term. Of course, these funds will not go to people who are pro-abortion, but to people who are pro-pregnancy and pro-life.

“Finally, this law also provides that if a woman seeks child support during her pregnancy, the state must grant it, which I think is very important.”

Austin Shipley is a staff writer for Yellow Hammer News.