Sponsor
Terri Sewell
Representative · D-AL
Representative · D-AL
The bill directs modestly increased CDC funding and requires targeted outreach and obstetric integration to boost maternal and infant vaccination, at the trade-off of higher federal spending, added administrative burdens, and a risk of program disruption if the funding timeline creates a gap.
Pregnant and postpartum individuals will receive targeted vaccination outreach and vaccine information integrated into obstetric care, improving maternal and infant vaccination rates and access at hospitals and clinics.
Hospitals, health systems, and local public health programs will benefit from increased CDC awareness campaign funding (from $5M to $7M), enabling expanded outreach and resources.
Hospitals, local health departments, and pregnant individuals could face interruptions if shifting the authorized funding years to 2027–2031 creates a gap, potentially delaying program continuity and services.
Taxpayers may face higher federal spending because of expanded grant purposes and increased funding, which could create budgetary pressures or require offsets.
Local governments and health providers may incur additional administrative costs to redesign programs and comply with mandated outreach to specific populations (pregnant/postpartum and minority groups).
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands CDC outreach and preventive grant purposes to include maternal vaccination and raises the awareness campaign authorization to $7M/year for FY2027–FY2031.
Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to maternal vaccination awareness and equity, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Terri Sewell · Last progress March 19, 2026
Expands federal vaccination outreach and prevention grant purposes to explicitly include maternal vaccination, adds obstetric clinicians and facilities to targeted providers, and increases authorized funding for the CDC awareness campaign from $5 million to $7 million for a new five-year period. It also makes vaccination rate improvement among pregnant and postpartum individuals (including racial and ethnic minority groups) an allowable activity under preventive health project grants. The bill mainly adjusts existing Public Health Service Act provisions to broaden program purposes and funding authorizations; it does not create a new program or appropriate funds directly in the text provided.