Governor JB Pritzker, joined by legislators and healthcare workers, signed the Birth Equity Initiative into law. HB5142 is the legislative piece of the Governor’s larger birth equity strategy, proposed in the State of the State address and instituted in the FY25 budget. The bill ensures competitive Medicaid reimbursement rates for doulas, lactation consultants, home visitors, and other community-based care providers who help new mothers before, after, and during birth. The Governor’s larger budget-based birth equity plan also invests $15 million in closing the maternal mortality gap through home visiting expansion, capital dollars for community-birth centers, a diaper pilot program, changes to Medicaid reimbursement rates, and a child tax credit for families in poverty. The Birth Equity Initiative includes over $10 million in funding to identify and address gaps in funding programs that can reduce adverse maternal health outcomes. This includes $5 million to expand the Department of Human Services’ home visitor program, and funding for a pilot diaper equity program at DHS. The Birth Equity Initiative also includes capital grant funding to support birth centers trying to gather capital to open in underserved areas. Maternal mortality statistics include pregnancy and birth related complications up to a year after birth, and evidence shows that home visiting programs and ensuring access to necessities like diapers reduce the burden on new parents and lead to better outcomes.