Federal prisons must offer addiction treatment to pregnant women
H.R. 9756 — MAT Act of 2026 · Filed by John McGuire (R-VA) · Introduced Jul 16, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the federal Bureau of Prisons to offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction to all pregnant women in federal custody, with an exception allowing mentally competent women to refuse it. The bill aims to protect fetal health and maternal recovery by ensuring access to evidence-based addiction treatment during pregnancy.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward directive to a federal agency to provide a specific medical service to a vulnerable population. It is a public health measure, not a market intervention or commemorative act.
What the text implies
- Implementation may require BOP to contract with external providers or expand in-house medical capacity, potentially increasing federal prison healthcare costs.
- The bill does not specify funding mechanism or appropriations, leaving implementation dependent on BOP budget allocation decisions.
- Pregnant women who refuse MAT retain the right to do so, but the bill does not address custody/child welfare consequences of refusal or untreated addiction.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Pregnant women in federal custody and their fetuses gain access to evidence-based medical treatment for opioid addiction, reducing risks of neonatal abstinence syndrome, miscarriage, and maternal overdose. The bill respects autonomy by preserving the right to refuse treatment.
Who stands to gain
- pharmaceutical manufacturers (buprenorphine, methadone suppliers)
- healthcare providers contracted by BOP for MAT delivery
Named in the bill
Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, pregnant women in federal custody, opioid addiction treatment providers
Where it stands
- Jul 16, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jul 16, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (481 characters) on Jul 25, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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