2026 AMCHP Annual Conference - Hill Day

On Tuesday, March 10, AMCHP led yet another impactful Hill Day as part of the 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference! 

Nearly 40 conference participants joined us on Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional offices, educate about the importance of Title V funding, and share firsthand experiences supporting families in their states and jurisdictions. 

Thank you to all the maternal and child health leaders who made their voices heard—we look forward to continuing this work together!

• AMCHP invites national, state, and academic organizations to join us in sending two letters to Congress in support of $1 billion for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant in FY27 and $100 million for CDC’s Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Moms and Babies (SET-NET) in FY27. Both letters are included on the sign-on forms, and the deadline for both letters is March 25, COB. 
• To sign onto the Friends of Title V letter, please fill out this form. 
• To sign onto the SET-NET organization letter, please fill out this form. 

• Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) has drafted a letter to send to Congress requesting funding and provisions for two maternal mental health programs in the FY27 federal budget: $10 million for the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, and $14.5 million for the Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program (MMHSUD; also called Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs). 
• Read the letter 
• Sign on using this form by March 31, COB.

• March of Dimes is leading a letter in support of FY27 funding for implementing the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act.
• Read the letter
• Sign on using this form by 5pm, March 25.

Congress

• House Committee on Appropriations: Oversight Hearing – National Institutes of Health (On March 17, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing focused on the oversight of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and how NIH spending aligns with public health needs and congressional priorities) 

• House Committee on Energy & Commerce: Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee: Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud (On March 17, the House E&C Committee held a hearing examining how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are detecting and preventing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid) 

• House Committee on Energy & Commerce: Health Subcommittee: Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape (On March 18, the House E&C Committee held a hearing identifying how physicians and other providers influence health care cost and affordability, aiming to identify policy levers to make care more accessible and affordable) 

• House Committee on Ways & Means: Health Subcommittee Hearing on Improving Kidney Health Through Better Prevention and Innovative Treatment (On March 18, the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee held a kidney health hearing focused on chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease) 

• Representative Robin Kelly: Rep. Kelly introduces bicameral WELLS Act, new maternal health bill named after constituent 

• Senator Cory Booker: Booker, Adams, Moore, Underwood Reintroduce Resolution Commemorating Black Midwives Day 

• Representative Lauren Underwood: Underwood, Adams, Booker Reintroduce Momnibus Bills to End America’s Maternal Health Crisis 

Executive Branch

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Abnormal Cholesterol Among Children and Adolescents: United States, August 2021–August 2023 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2024 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Quarterly Provisional Estimates of Infant Mortality: 2023 – Q3 2025 

• Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC): Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP 

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SAMHSA Announces More Than $69 Million in Funding Opportunities for Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention Grant Programs 

• Federal Register: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Performance Measurement Information System 

• Federal Register: Information Collection; System for Award Management Registration Requirements for Financial Assistance Recipients (The General Services Administration (GSA) issued a notice and request for comments on a proposed revision to the “Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations” in GSA’s System for Award Management (SAM or SAM.gov). According to the notice, the revisions are designed to “align with updated executive branch guidance including” the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” executive order (EO). Comments can be submitted through March 30)

• Federal Register: Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review (CDC has extended the public comment opportunity regarding the “Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)” by an additional 30 days. Comments can be submitted through April 8) 

• Federal Register: Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations (CDC is inviting public comment on a project titled Generic Information Collection Request for Cognitive Testing and Pilot Testing for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This Generic Clearance is designed to support methodological studies that improve information quality and the efficiency of information collection. Comments can be submitted through May 8) 

Judicial Branch

• Court Listener: American Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy Preliminary Injunction (On March 17, Judge Brian E. Murphy temporarily blocked 1) the appointments of thirteen members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2) the January 2026 memo revising the childhood immunization schedule, and 3) all votes taken by the now-stayed ACIP) 

• AHA: 4 Principles, Real Impact: How Hospitals are Advancing Maternal Health  

• Commonwealth Fund: Can Rural Health Be Transformed Through a New Federal Program? 



• Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research: Gestational diabetes subtypes tied to distinct risks for mothers and babies 

• KFF: Abortion on the 2026 Ballot: The Evolving Landscape of State Abortion Initiatives 



• MGH Center for Women’s Health: Sleep Awareness Week: What You Should Know About Sleep and Perinatal Mental Health 

• Preeclampsia Foundation: Preeclampsia Foundation Announces Major Maternal Health Initiative at HHS National Conference on Women’s Health 

• UnitedHealthGroup: UnitedHealthcare Expands Doula Offering to Employer-Sponsored Plans Nationwide

Upcoming Events

• ICYMI: Midwives Matter: Advancing Black Maternal Health through Midwifery Policy, a convening hosted by The Century Foundation to explore with national leaders how expanding midwifery care can address the Black maternal health crisis. Access the recording. 

• April 16: Heat, Hazards, and Healthy Pregnancies: Protecting Pregnant Workers on the Job, join the Center for WorkLife Law and the National Council for Occupational Safety and Healthy for a bilingual and free webinar on how the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act can secure job protections, workplace changes, and time off to keep pregnant workers safe and healthy. Learn more and register. 

• April 23: A Shared Vision: Building Community Partnerships for School-Based Eye Care Programs, join the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health for a free webinar focused on strengthening systems and partnerships that expand children’s vision services in schools and communities. Learn more and register. 

• May 27-30 – 2026 NWA Annual Education and Training Conference, an annual conference to acquire new skills and network with peers and colleagues, along with exhibitors, who will provide WIC related products and services for participants. Learn more and register. 

• June 24-25 – Safe States 2026 Annual Injury & Violence Prevention Conference, a virtual conference for injury and violence prevention professionals to share insights and experiences with colleagues through innovative networking and dedicated learning sessions. Learn more and register. 

Additional AMCHP Resources

• Visit our Government Affairs webpage for information on our appropriations work, our Federal Policy Agenda, recordings of past Town Halls, and archives of this newsletter. 

• Explore the AMCHP Resource Library. 

• Learn about pending federal legislation to improve MCH from our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker. 

• Check out our MCH Policy Essential Series Learning Modules. 

• Discover innovative policies in the MCH Innovations Database. 

• Explore career opportunities at AMCHP and find additional openings in maternal and child health on the AMCHP Career Center. 

• Share the subscribe link for this digest and other AMCHP content with your network so they can stay informed!