A bstract The result of a search for the pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the bottom quark $$ \left({\tilde{b}}_1\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msub> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> using 139 fb − 1 of proton-proton data collected at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector is reported. In the supersymmetric scenarios considered both of the bottom-squarks decay into a b -quark and the second-lightest neutralino, $$ {\tilde{b}}_1\to b+{\tilde{\chi}}_2^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> . Each $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_2^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> is assumed to subsequently decay with 100% branching ratio into a Higgs boson ( h ) like the one in the Standard Model and the lightest neutralino: $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_2^0\to h+{\tilde{\chi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> . The $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> is assumed to be the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) and is stable. Two signal mass configurations are targeted: the first has a constant LSP mass of 60 GeV; and the second has a constant mass difference between the $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_2^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> and $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˜</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> of 130 GeV. The final states considered contain no charged leptons, three or more b -jets, and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model background expectation is observed in any of the signal regions considered. Limits at the 95% confidence level are placed in the supersymmetric models considered, and bottom-squarks with mass up to 1.5 TeV are excluded.