Congress funds diverse maternal health workforce to close care gaps

What it does

This bill funds workforce development in maternal and perinatal health by directing HHS to issue guidance to states on diverse care models, conducting a study on culturally competent maternity care, and awarding $15 million annually (2027–2031) in grants to schools training midwives, physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and advanced practice nurses—with priority given to programs recruiting from racial and ethnic minority groups and serving underserved areas. It also mandates a GAO report on barriers to maternal health education and care equity.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: federal grants to educational institutions to train and diversify the perinatal workforce, with explicit focus on underserved populations and areas with maternal health disparities. This is a direct public-health investment, not a tax provision, subsidy to a private entity, or regulatory carve-out.

What the text implies

• Implicit bias and racism training becomes a condition for grant priority and is embedded in curricula, potentially shifting institutional culture around maternal care delivery.
• Bill prioritizes international standards for midwifery (International Confederation of Midwives definition) over state-by-state variation, which may harmonize but could also constrain state regulatory flexibility.
• GAO report on 'compensation equity' for perinatal health workers may surface pressure for Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement changes or parity adjustments in future legislation.
• Emphasis on 'culturally and linguistically congruent care' and diverse provider recruitment may increase demand for interpretation services and cultural competency training, creating downstream workforce needs.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill directly addresses documented maternal health disparities by funding workforce expansion in underserved areas and prioritizing recruitment of providers from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. Citizens in health professional shortage areas and those experiencing maternal health disparities gain access to more diverse, culturally competent care; no offsetting costs to the public are apparent.

Who stands to gain

• schools of nursing
• accredited midwifery education programs
• physician assistant training programs
• health professions schools offering perinatal specialization

Named in the bill

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Government Accountability Office (GAO), International Confederation of Midwives, International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, schools of nursing, midwifery practices, freestanding birth centers, health professional shortage areas (HPSA)

Where it stands

43 cosponsors: 43 Democrats.

• Mar 25, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 25, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $99,067 in lobbying spend. A filing names 62 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Gwen Moore, the sponsor, reported $754,653 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Center for Reproductive Rights — $70,000 on 1 filing
• National League for Nursing — $29,067 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 22, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.