Sponsors (3)
The bill invests federal resources to expand and diversify the perinatal workforce and improve culturally competent, continuous postpartum care—promising better access and reduced disparities—at the cost of new federal spending, added administrative burden, implementation uncertainty, and potentially uneven benefits across states.
Pregnant and postpartum people in rural and high-need communities will gain more perinatal clinicians placed locally, improving access to maternal care and likely improving outcomes and reducing disparities.
Pregnant and postpartum patients from racial and ethnic minority groups will receive more culturally and linguistically appropriate care and benefit from provider training on implicit bias and racism, improving patient experience and potentially reducing disparities.
Students from racial/ethnic minority and underserved backgrounds will receive scholarships and training that lower education costs and increase diversity in the perinatal workforce, creating longer-term workforce capacity.
Taxpayers will fund new programs and recurring studies (including the $15M/year scholarship/training authorizations and GAO/NIH work), increasing federal spending and adding to budgetary costs.
States, schools, hospitals, and other providers will face additional administrative and reporting burdens to apply for grants, comply with program requirements, implement guidance, and create training/placement arrangements.
Authorized funding levels (up to $15M/year for some programs) may be too limited to meet demand, leaving many students, providers, and high-need areas without support.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates HHS guidance, NIH study, and two competitive grant programs to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce; authorizes $15M/year for each program (FY2027–2031) and requires reporting.
Introduced March 25, 2026 by Tammy Baldwin · Last progress March 25, 2026
Creates new HHS guidance, studies, and competitive grant programs to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce and improve culturally and linguistically congruent maternal care. The bill funds education, training, and scholarships for midwives, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and related nursing programs, requires bias and anti‑racism training in curricula, sets reporting and evaluation requirements, and directs GAO and NIH to study barriers and best practices for reducing racial and ethnic maternal health disparities.