The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act passes in the U.S. House!

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House Resolution 20, the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support (MOTHERS) for Postpartum Depression Act, was reintroduced on January 6, 2009. U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) sponsored this bill, which would ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services. This bill also seeks to increase research at the National Institutes of Health on postpartum depression. The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act was voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 31, 2009 by a vote of 391-9 and referred to the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for consideration. The Senate version is sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). For more information about the bill and its status, click here.