Sponsors (62)
The bill expands funding, services, training, and transparency to reduce maternal health disparities—especially for racial/ethnic minorities and those with mental health/SUD needs—but does so at meaningful federal cost and with added reporting and administrative burdens that may disadvantage smaller providers and delay uniform, timely implementation.
Pregnant and postpartum people—especially racial and ethnic minorities and low-income birthing people—gain expanded community-based, culturally congruent maternity services (including doulas, CHWs, and perinatal supports) and greater access to mental health and substance-use supports.
Hospitals, clinics, and health systems receive federal funding, technical assistance, and evidence-based guidance (training types, scorecards, best practices) to adopt culturally and trauma-informed maternity care that can improve patient experience and reduce disparities.
Healthcare workforce capacity and diversity are supported through funded recurring training, CEU-based education, university pipeline programs, and formal recognition of nonclinical perinatal workers, strengthening local provider capacity and culturally tailored care.
Taxpayers and federal budgets—this bill authorizes new and open-ended federal spending (including $100M/yr authorization, multi-year grants, and 'such sums as necessary'), increasing federal outlays and potential budgetary commitments.
Hospitals, clinics, community providers, and nonprofits—expanded reporting, grant applications, program compliance, and data collection will impose administrative burdens and costs that may be especially heavy for smaller providers and community-based organizations.
Smaller community-based organizations and grassroots providers may be disadvantaged—grant criteria, reporting demands, and emphasis on academic partnerships risk concentrating funds in larger institutions, HBCUs/MSIs, or academic pipelines rather than front-line community groups.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Creates grants, studies, reporting, and compliance programs to reduce bias and advance culturally congruent, respectful maternity care, with multiyear funding and evaluation requirements.
Official title: To end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 25, 2026 by Alma Adams · Last progress March 25, 2026
Creates new federal grant programs, studies, reporting requirements, and technical assistance to reduce bias, racism, and discrimination in maternity care and to expand culturally and linguistically congruent, trauma-informed, respectful maternity care. It funds community-based organizations, hospital/health system compliance programs, an independent National Academies study, and GAO oversight, and authorizes multiyear funding to support program awards, evaluation, and dissemination of best practices. The law requires an initial 1-year outreach and technical assistance period for community-based applicants, annual and final reports on program activities and impacts, development and public sharing of best practices, and multiple evaluations to track effects on maternal outcomes—especially for racial and ethnic minority groups and people with mental health or substance use conditions. It authorizes funding through FY2027–FY2032 for the various programs and studies described.