Sponsors (5)
Establishes the NIH IMPROVE Initiative to fund research and community interventions to reduce maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and disparities, with $73.4M authorized per year for FY2026–2031.
The bill invests modest but sustained federal funding to build research, targeted interventions, and local evidence to reduce maternal mortality and address disparities, trading a delayed and potentially uneven implementation (and modest taxpayer cost) for the prospect of longer-term, locally tailored maternal health improvements.
Hospitals, state health agencies, and researchers get stable, dedicated federal funding ($73.4M/year, FY2026–2031) to study drivers of maternal outcomes and support related programs.
Pregnant and postpartum women—especially those at highest risk—will be the focus of targeted research and interventions intended to reduce preventable maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity.
Communities with disproportionately high maternal mortality will receive community-based interventions and evaluation to address disparities, improving services for racial/ethnic minorities and low-income people.
Research and program funding may take time to translate into measurable reductions in maternal mortality, so pregnant and postpartum women may not see immediate health benefits.
If the initiative emphasizes research over on-the-ground implementation, local clinics and hospitals—particularly those serving low-income communities—may lack the operational support needed to change care quickly.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending of $73.4M annually from FY2026–2031 to fund the initiative.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To establish the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Lauren Underwood · Last progress July 20, 2026
Creates the NIH IMPROVE Initiative to reduce preventable maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity, address disparities, and improve health before, during, and after pregnancy. It directs the NIH Director to continue and operate the program, using research, region-specific studies, and community-based interventions to identify risk factors and effective solutions. Authorizes $73,400,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2031 and allows NIH to award grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions to implement the Initiative.