Senate HELP Committee Advances Bipartisan Bills Supported by Senator Hassan to Enhance the Health and Well-Being of Granite Staters and Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee voted to approve bipartisan legislation supported by Senator Hassan – a member of the Committee – to help improve the health and well-being of Granite Staters and Americans, particularly women in need of maternity care and individuals impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.

The Committee voted to approve the bipartisan Improving Access to Maternity Care Act that Senator Hassan cosponsored to help address shortages of maternity care health professionals. The bill would create a designation for maternity care for use under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), which would help the NHSC to boost the maternity care workforce in underserved areas through its loan repayment and scholarship programs. The legislation was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

The bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure (BOLD) for Alzheimer’s Act, which Senator Hassan also cosponsored, passed out of the committee as well. The legislation would strengthen early detection and diagnosis efforts and help support caregivers by creating centers of excellence that would apply a public health approach to addressing Alzheimer’s and educate caregivers and the public about the disease. The bill was introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“Ensuring that women have access to maternity care – regardless of their zip codes – is critical to their health and well-being, as well as to that of their children and our entire state,” Senator Hassan said. “I am pleased that the Senate HELP Committee voted to advance this commonsense legislation that will expand access to maternity care in underserved areas, as well as bipartisan legislation to strengthen the country’s public health infrastructure to better support Granite Staters and Americans impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.”

The HELP Committee also voted to approve a bill Senator Hassan cosponsored to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act. The legislation expired in 2016 and has not been reauthorized since 2010. The bill would make updates to the original law, including strengthening the use of data driven tools to maximize the effectiveness of library and museum services, provide technical support and assistance to improve data collection, allow grant funds to be used to help libraries prepare for and provide services after a disaster, and more. For more information on the economic impact of museums in New Hampshire, click here.

“The Granite State has long understood the value public libraries bring to our communities and state, with the oldest taxpayer-supported public library in the world located in Peterborough, New Hampshire,” Senator Hassan said. “It is far past time for Congress to make updates to the Museum and Library Services Act to ensure that these important institutions have what they need to continue enriching the lives of our students and all of our citizens. I look forward to seeing this bill become law as quickly as possible.”

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