Require hospitals to create safe labor discharge plans before discharging patients with signs of labor and require regular racial-bias training and reporting for HHS Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies funding recipients.

The bicameral Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety (WELLS) Act, which Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02) introduced in March, would address safe discharge of laboring women and racial bias in the health care system. The WELLS Act would: Require hospitals to develop, implement, and document a Safe Labor Discharge Plan prior to discharging patients who present with signs and symptoms of labor; Require regular racial bias training and reporting of training for all recipients of funding from the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program under HHS.

Blunt Rochester introduced the WELLS Act to impose safe labor discharge planning requirements on hospitals and racial-bias training/reporting requirements on RMOMS funding recipients.

NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Introduces Suite of Mother’s Day Bills Supporting Maternal Health
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester announced she introduced maternal-health bills, including the WELLS Act. The release says the WELLS Act would require hospitals to develop, implement, and document a Safe Labor Discharge Plan before discharging patients with signs and symptoms of labor, and would require regular racial-bias training and reporting for RMOMS funding recipients.

Blunt Rochester took concrete legislative action matching both parts of the promise, but the language is framed as what the bill would do, not as enacted law.

never same_term A for effort

NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Introduces Suite of Mother’s Day Bills Supporting Maternal Health
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The Senator’s official legislation page lists S.4482, WELLS Act, with latest action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

The Senate bill had only been referred to committee as of the listed latest action, so the requirements had not become law.

never same_term A for effort

Sponsored Legislation - Lisa Blunt Rochester
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GovInfo lists H.R. 7830 as Introduced in House, with the title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals to develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals as a condition of participation under Medicare. Last action date listed is March 5, 2026, when the bill was introduced and referred to committees.

The House companion for the WELLS Act was also only introduced and referred, supporting that the policy had not been enacted by the assessment date.

never same_term

H.R. 7830 (IH) - Women Expansion of Learning and Labor Safety Act
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Rep. Kelly’s release says Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester would introduce the Senate companion bill and quotes Blunt Rochester saying the bill would require hospitals to develop and follow a Safe Discharge Labor Plan before discharging a patient with signs of labor. The release also describes racial-bias training and safe discharge plan elements.

This corroborates the bicameral WELLS Act effort and the safe-discharge policy details, but confirms it was proposed legislation rather than an enacted requirement.

never same_term A for effort

Rep. Kelly introduces bicameral WELLS Act, new maternal health bill named after constituent
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%