WILMINGTON — The 2022 Delaware Momnibus, a package of bills that address various issues relating to maternal and infant health care, was signed by Gov. John Carney at the Carvel State Office Building Monday afternoon.

The package of six bills was signed in the Mezzanine Gallery with dozens in attendance, ranging from community stakeholders to mothers and their babies. In addition to Gov. Carney, guests included the co-prime sponsors of the 2022 Delaware Momnibus, Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, and Sen. Marie Pinkney, D-Bear, as well as Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik, and various legislators from both chambers of the General Assembly.

Gov. Carney said infant mortality has been a big concern in Delaware dating back to former-Gov. Tom Carper, who prioritized the issue. He said mortality rates for infants and their mothers are a strong indicator of community wellness, and that addressing the differences in those rates, which disproportionately affect women of color, have been very important issues to tackle. As many Americans remain concerned regarding the state of reproductive health care in the country, Gov. Carney is proud that the legislature rose to the occasion.

“It’s hard work. We’ve been working on this a long time, to keep those rates going down, because they’re very difficult, mostly social issues that are implied. We need to go to work more holistically about how to address the things that cause infant and maternal deaths,” Gov. Carney said.

Lt. Gov. Hall-Long began the signing by thanking the wide range of people who helped pass the package of legislation, specifically those on the front lines who assisted during the process. She said as someone who started her career working in the neonatal intensive care unit and as a perinatal grief counselor, she spent “far too many days” counseling Black and Brown women who were experiencing grief as a result of their experiences.

“Infant mortality is the number one indicator of a community and a population’s health. We have to continue to put the pedal to the metal, which we’ve done in this state, and in particular, in equity and justice,” Lt. Gov. Hall-Long said.

Following her remarks, Ms. Magarik emphasized the importance of each bill contained in the package. She said while there has been a lot of work done by the department on infant mortality, they cannot forget about the moms.

“If we cannot guarantee and support not just the infants, but their parents during this critical time after the birth, what are we doing?” Ms. Magarik said. “We have to focus on maternal mortality and that’s what this package of legislation does. We’re incredibly proud.”

The 2022 Delaware Momnibus includes House Bill 234, which requires the Department of Health and Social Services expand Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months postpartum; HB 342, which strengthens restrictions on the use of correctional restraints on women in labor or giving birth; and HB 340, which would make changes to the Child Death Review Commission under its new name, the Child and Maternal Death Review Commission.

The package also includes HB 345, which requires the Department of Corrections to accommodate pregnant females or those who have given birth in the past six months with midwifery and doula services, House Substitute 2 for HB 344, which requires health care workers to undergo bias and competency training, and HB 343, which requires Medicaid to include a plan for the coverage of doula services.

“As an 18-year-old young adult, relying on Medicaid and state assistance, and as a 30-year-old, married, registered nurse, both times I experienced preventable complications. And although today I can say I have overcome, thoughts of those experience continued to resurface, the trauma continued to present itself as we drafted this legislation,” Rep. Minor-Brown said.

“Each one of these bills are based on evidence. One thing we know is the data does not lie, the data doesn’t lie. We have an obligation to Delawareans, and especially an obligation to our most vulnerable Delawareans.”

Sen. Pinkney said the signing showed the success of the many conversations had by lawmakers, mothers and stakeholders for years, which have been heard and elevated by Rep. Minor-Brown and many of her colleagues.

“It is a reflection of the advocacy that so many of you have been literally crying and screaming about for years. I’m looking around the room and I can think of so many stories that I’ve heard from each and every one of you about your individual experiences with maternal healthcare,” Sen. Pinkney said.

“It’s so important that we’re here, it’s so magnificent that we’re here.”