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Creates a new NIH initiative to advance research and interventions aimed at reducing preventable maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity, with a focus on reducing disparities and improving care before, during, and after pregnancy. The NIH Director may award grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions to carry out the initiative, with an authorization of $73,400,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2031. The initiative directs research on biological, behavioral, and other factors that contribute to poor maternal outcomes, supports community-based interventions in disproportionately affected populations and regions, and seeks to build evidence to improve maternal health outcomes nationwide.
The bill provides multi-year federal funding to advance maternal health research and target disparities—potentially improving care and saving lives over time—but requires ongoing federal spending (~$73.4M/year) and may yield benefits slowly and unevenly across communities.
NIH will receive predictable funding (~$73.4M per year, 2026–2031) to support sustained maternal health research and intervention programs.
Pregnant and postpartum women (and their families) could experience fewer preventable maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity as new research yields effective prevention and care strategies.
Racially and economically disadvantaged women are likely to benefit from efforts that specifically target high-risk populations and evaluate community-based interventions, narrowing maternal health disparities.
Taxpayers will fund increased federal spending (~$73.4M per year), which could crowd out other priorities or add to deficits if not offset.
Research outcomes typically take years to translate into clinical practice, so immediate reductions in maternal mortality and morbidity may be limited.
Limited grant funds mean some communities, health systems, or researchers may not receive awards and proposed interventions could remain unfunded.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Lauren Underwood · Last progress November 20, 2025