Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§254c–21 Innovation for maternal health

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part D— - Primary Health Care › Subpart subpart i— - health centers › § 254c–21

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must set up or keep a competitive grant program, after talking with medical experts, public health officials, researchers, statisticians, and community groups. Grants will pay for finding, making, and sharing best ways to improve care for pregnant and postpartum people and their babies, and to prevent avoidable maternal deaths and very serious health problems. Work covered can include improving hospital and clinic care before, during, and after birth; using state maternal mortality reviews; dealing with social and other factors that affect health; giving technical help to providers; and testing new care models that link community services and clinical care. To get a grant, an organization must apply as the Secretary requires and show it can run data-driven safety and quality projects in obstetrics, gynecology, or maternal health. The Secretary must report to Congress by September 30, 2025, and every two years after, about these best practices and how much they reduced preventable maternal deaths and severe maternal illness and whether they improved maternal and infant health. The Secretary should share the findings as appropriate. The law authorizes $9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §254c–21

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, in consultation with experts representing a variety of clinical specialties, State, Tribal, or local public health officials, researchers, epidemiologists, statisticians, and community organizations, shall establish or continue a program to award competitive grants to eligible entities for the purpose of—

(1)identifying, developing, or disseminating best practices to improve maternal health care quality and outcomes, improve maternal and infant health, and eliminate preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, which may include—

(A)information on evidence-based practices to improve the quality and safety of maternal health care in hospitals and other health care settings of a State or health care system by addressing topics commonly associated with health complications or risks related to prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care;

(B)best practices for improving maternal health care based on data findings and reviews conducted by a State maternal mortality review committee that address topics of relevance to common complications or health risks related to prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care; and

(C)information on addressing determinants of health that impact maternal health outcomes for women before, during, and after pregnancy;

(2)collaborating with State maternal mortality review committees to identify issues for the development and implementation of evidence-based practices to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, consistent with section 247b–12 of this title;

(3)providing technical assistance and supporting the implementation of best practices identified in paragraph (1) to entities providing health care services to pregnant and postpartum women; and

(4)identifying, developing, and evaluating new models of care that improve maternal and infant health outcomes, which may include the integration of community-based services and clinical care.

(b)To be eligible for a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall—

(1)submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require; and

(2)demonstrate in such application that the entity is capable of carrying out data-driven maternal safety and quality improvement initiatives in the areas of obstetrics and gynecology or maternal health.

(c)Not later than September 30, 2025, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the practices described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a). Such report shall include a description of the extent to which such practices reduced preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and whether such practices improved maternal and infant health. The Secretary shall disseminate information on such practices, as appropriate.

(d)To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $9,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 254c–21

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73