Support Military Moms' Mental Health! The MOMS Act Saves Lives!

email advocacy

Dear [Your Elected Official],

I ask that you include The Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act (The MOMS Act), which is Section 709 of the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), into the final Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA.

The bipartisan MOMS Act (S.3641/H.R.7087) would establish a pilot program to treat and prevent perinatal mental health conditions among military servicemembers and their families, thereby enhancing both health and military readiness.

According to a May 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office, perinatal mental health conditions impact military moms 2-3 times more than civilians. This is a significant disparity that Congress cannot ignore.

This is why I ask that you please include The MOMS Act, Section 709 of the House NDAA, into the final FY25 NDAA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter,

[Your Name]

[Your City & State]

Send me occasional emails about this issue

Please personalize your phone call with why you believe military maternal mental health is important, and, if you have a personal connection to the military, share that too.
Nervous about calling your Senator's office? We know that calling someone you don't know can feel awkward and stressful. Remember that the staff person on the other end of the line is just human — like you! So, don't worry about making a phone call. And if no one answers, you can leave a message.

THIS IS A SAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN SAY ON THE PHONE.

Hi,

My name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent of Senator [Senator’s name].

I’m calling to ask Senator [Senator’s name] to support including a piece of legislation in the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act.

Specifically, I ask that Senator [Senator’s name] ensure that The Maintaining Our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act of 2024 (also called The MOMS Act), which is Section 709 of the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is included in the final FY25 NDAA.

The bipartisan MOMS Act, which is bill number S.3641 and H.R.7087, would establish a pilot program to treat and prevent perinatal mental health conditions among military servicemembers and their families, enhancing both health and military readiness.

This is important to me because... (This is where you share why maternal mental health is important to you. If you have a personal connection to the military, share that here as well.)

This is why I ask that you please include The MOMS Act, Section 709 of the House NDAA, into the final FY25 NDAA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Summary

BACKGROUND This year, the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) has been advocating for a federal bill to support the mental health of military mothers called The Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act, or The MOMS Act for short, which would bring maternal mental health programs into the military healthcare system. The MOMS Act was included in the final House version of a larger bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).   THE PROBLEM The MOMS Act, which would support military mothers' mental health, was NOT included in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — meaning we might miss the opportunity to include maternal mental health programs into the military healthcare system! Maternal mental health conditions impact military moms 2-3 times more than civilians (Government Accountability Office, May 2022). This is a significant disparity that Congress cannot ignore.   WHAT YOU CAN DO Contact your Senators and ask them to include The MOMS Act in the final NDAA, and share why military maternal mental health is important to you. Use this action alert which will match you to your Senator when you put in your address. Phone calls carry more weight than emails, so please make a call - thank you!   DEADLINE At this time, we have been informed that the NDAA will be finalized before the Presidential election. You can contact your Senators as many times as you would like.   PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGE FOR GREATER IMPACT To make your impact even greater, share why maternal mental health is important to you, especially if you have any connection to the military.   NERVOUS ABOUT CALLING YOUR SENATOR'S OFFICE? We know that calling someone you don't know can feel awkward and stressful. Remember that the staff person on the other end of the line is just human — like you! So, don't worry about making a phone call. And if no one answers, you can leave a message.   Learn more about us at mmhla.org!

Who will receive your message?

Your Federal Senator(s)