WELLS Act
Sponsored By: Representative Kelly (IL)
Introduced
Summary
This bill would require standardized discharge plans for pregnant patients so travel, transport, language, and clinical needs are checked before someone leaves the hospital. It would also expand rural maternal training and create an interagency maternal health dashboard to track outcomes.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New hospital discharge plan for pregnancy
If enacted, hospitals that take Medicare would have to make a written discharge plan starting January 1, 2027. The plan would be required when a pregnant patient shows signs of labor and might go home before delivery. The plan would be put in the medical record and reviewed by a qualified clinician. It would state the clinical reason, estimate travel time, confirm reliable transportation, name a backup delivery facility, and be given in the patient’s main language before discharge.
Public maternal health data dashboard
If enacted, the Department of Health and Human Services would create and publish a public maternal health dashboard. The dashboard would pull HHS agency measures and data from the research effort. It would show metrics like maternal deaths, severe maternal illness, numbers of pregnant people sent home before delivery, and federal maternal health research investments.
Research program to test maternal training
If enacted, HHS would set up a multi-center implementation science initiative for maternal health. The initiative would work with AHRQ and NIH to test training methods like in-person, virtual, simulation, and cohort models. The studies would measure effects on provider behavior, patient outcomes, and health disparities.
Stronger rural maternal training grants
If enacted, rural maternal training grants would have to include racial bias training. Grants awarded starting in fiscal year 2027 would face minimum performance milestones to keep funding, including targets for the share of staff trained or refreshed. The Secretary would report to Congress by January 1, 2027, and annually with lists of recipients, grant amounts, training formats, geographic coverage, provider counts, and patient-level metrics such as outcomes and disparities.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Kelly (IL)
IL • D
Cosponsors
Watson Coleman
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Clarke (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
McIver
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Sewell
AL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Brown
OH • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Moore (WI)
WI • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Foushee
NC • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Tlaib
MI • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Ansari
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Tonko
NY • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Fields
LA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Hayes
CT • D
Sponsored 3/19/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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