Sponsors (46)
The bill would expand access to and the quality of maternal mental health and substance use services—especially for underserved pregnant and postpartum people—through targeted grants, training, and reporting, at modest but real federal cost and with risks that funding levels, time-limited grants, and administrative burdens could limit scale, sustainability, and equitable reach.
Pregnant and postpartum people—especially those from high‑risk, low‑income, and underserved communities—will have greater access to integrated maternal mental health and substance use services through new grant programs, expanded training, and incentives for providers to practice in shortage areas.
Community-based organizations and clinics in underserved areas will receive prioritized funding and partnership support, improving local availability of maternal mental health and substance use services.
Maternity care providers and students will gain education, referral resources, and required bias/racism training, which should improve identification, treatment, and equity of care for maternal mental health and substance use disorders.
Taxpayers will face increased federal authorizations—roughly $25 million per year (FY2027–2031) for services plus about $15 million per year for workforce activities—raising federal spending by around $40 million annually.
The authorized $15 million per year for workforce development is likely insufficient to meaningfully scale the maternal mental health workforce nationwide, limiting the bill's overall impact on access.
Grant-funded services are time‑limited and may end when grants expire, risking loss of services and instability for vulnerable pregnant and postpartum people who rely on them.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HHS grant programs to expand maternal mental health and substance use services and to grow/diversify the maternal behavioral health workforce, with $15M/year for FY2027–FY2031 for workforce grants.
Official title: To address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 14, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress May 14, 2026
Creates a Maternal Mental Health Equity Grant Program at HHS to fund community-focused services and treatment for pregnant and postpartum individuals with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, prioritizing groups and areas with elevated maternal mortality, severe morbidity, and other adverse outcomes. Establishes a separate HHS workforce grant program to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health workforce, funds training, schools, capacity expansion, and scholarships, and requires reporting and technical assistance. Authorizes recurring appropriations of $15 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 for the workforce training grants; grant recipients must report annually on activities, outcomes, participant intentions to practice in shortage areas, and program effectiveness metrics.