Bill > S916

This bill aims to safeguard the humane treatment of pregnant and postpartum noncitizens in detention facilities by establishing comprehensive protections and guidelines. The bill requires pregnancy testing during initial medical screening and creates a presumption of release for pregnant, lactating, or postpartum individuals, with only narrow exceptions for extraordinary circumstances involving serious safety risks. The legislation prohibits the use of restraints on pregnant detainees, allowing them only in rare instances and only with the least restrictive methods, and always with medical professional oversight. The bill mandates access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including prenatal care, labor and delivery support, postpartum care, and family planning services, and ensures that detainees receive these services only with their informed consent. Additionally, the bill requires facility administrators to provide medical center arrangements for emergencies, mandates training for Department of Homeland Security employees on these provisions, and establishes a reporting system where facility administrators must submit quarterly reports about pregnant detainees, which will be audited and made publicly available (with personal identifying information redacted). The overall goal is to protect the health, dignity, and safety of pregnant noncitizens during immigration detention.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/916/all-info