Yesterday the House passed H.R. 3224, the Deborah Sampson Act, which includes the Newborn Care Improvement Act sponsored by 9th District Congressman Doug Collins.
The Newborn Care Improvement Act, introduced by Collins in May 2019, extends the amount of time female veterans’ newborns are eligible to receive medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from 7 days to 14 days. The state of Georgia has the fifth highest number of female veterans, and the Atlanta VA serves more female veterans than any other VA nationwide.
After the vote Congressman Collins issued the following statement:
Women serving in the armed forces put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, and the very least we can do is ensure these service members and their newborns receive the medical care they have earned. I’m proud the House passed this critical legislation to ease the burden on new mothers receiving care from the VA, and I encourage the Senate to do the same.
Senators Tillis (R-N.C.) and Klobuchar (D-M.N.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.