Sponsors (6)
The bill modestly expands and targets support for midwifery education, preceptor development, and minority recruitment to boost maternal care in underserved areas, but its limited funding and eligibility/priority rules risk excluding many programs and communities and may blunt nationwide impact.
Midwifery and nurse‑midwifery students will receive direct grants or financial support, lowering training costs and improving access to midwifery education.
People in Health Professional Shortage Areas (rural and low‑income communities) will likely gain greater access to maternal care because more midwives are being trained and programs are prioritized to place graduates in shortage areas.
Midwifery programs, hospitals, and health systems will expand training capacity as funding supports establishment or expansion of accredited programs and diversifies clinical training sites.
Midwifery students and underserved communities may receive only limited benefit because total authorized funding (modest multi‑year appropriations amounting to only a few million per year) is likely insufficient to address nationwide workforce shortages.
Schools of nursing, community‑based midwifery programs, and some students may be excluded or confused by eligibility and funding channels because the bill both bars funding to programs housed in schools of nursing (in one section) and routes funds through nursing schools (in another), risking inconsistent application and leaving nonacademic pipelines out.
Urban communities and other high‑need populations may be disadvantaged because prioritization based on HPSA metrics and pledges to send graduates to shortage areas can miss or deprioritize some high-need areas and programs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HHS grants to expand midwifery and nurse‑midwifery education, student support, and preceptor capacity, with $35M authorized for FY2025–FY2029 and set funding splits each year.
Introduced May 5, 2025 by Ben Ray Luján · Last progress May 5, 2025
Creates two new HHS grant programs to grow the midwifery workforce by funding education, program startup/expansion, and preceptor support. One program targets accredited midwifery schools/programs at institutions of higher education (Title VII) and the other funds nurse‑midwifery programs housed in schools of nursing (Title VIII). Grants must prioritize training providers who will practice in Health Professional Shortage Areas and increase racial and ethnic minority representation. The bill authorizes $15 million for the Title VII program and $20 million for the Title VIII program for FY2025–FY2029, with each program required to split available funds annually 50% for student support, 25% for program establishment/expansion, and 25% for preceptor support. The Title VII program explicitly bars funding for midwifery programs located inside schools of nursing, while the Title VIII program awards grants to schools of nursing for nurse‑midwifery training.