# 119-hr-8089: Perinatal Workforce Act

119-hr-8089, Perinatal Workforce Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-23).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8089
- As of: 2026-10-23
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8089
- Congress: 119
- Title: Perinatal Workforce Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-25
- Sponsor: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI)
- Cosponsors: 43
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-23

## Summary

**This bill would expand and diversify the perinatal workforce** to improve respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care through new guidance, grant programs, reporting, and standard definitions. It focuses on recruiting diverse midwives, perinatal health workers, nurses, and related professionals and on reducing disparities in maternal outcomes.

## Cosponsors (43)

- Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14] (D-IL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (D-NC), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4] (D-MD), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] (D-CA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2] (D-AL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4] (D-NV), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3] (D-NJ), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3] (D-KY), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6] (D-GA), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16] (D-NY), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2026-08-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Grants to grow perinatal clinicians: benefit, medium. This bill would create grants to start or expand accredited programs that train physician assistants, midwives meeting international standards, and perinatal health workers. Grants could pay for program capacity, clinical placements, and scholarships to recruit diverse students. Grants would priori…
- Scholarships for perinatal nursing students: benefit, medium. This bill would fund grants to nursing schools to grow and diversify the perinatal nursing workforce. Grants could provide scholarships for nurse practitioners, certified nurse‑midwives, and clinical nurse specialists with a maternal or perinatal focus. Grants would prioritize recruiting diverse st…
- Clear definitions for perinatal care: benefit, low. This bill would set definitions used throughout the law. It would define 'maternity care provider' to include physicians, physician assistants, midwives meeting international ICM standards, APRNs, state‑credentialed doulas, and IBLCE lactation consultants. It would define 'perinatal health worker'…
- Federal guidance on respectful maternity care: benefit, low. This bill would require HHS to issue guidance to States within two years on delivering respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternal care. The guidance would promote recruiting and retaining diverse maternity care providers and require bias and racism training. It would encourage tea…
- NIH study on respectful maternity care: benefit, low. This bill would direct the National Institutes of Health to study best practices in respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care. NIH would submit a public report to Congress within two years that lists examples, evidence of reduced disparities, and recommendations for hospita…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-8074: Kira Johnson Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8089 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8089)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-8074: Kira Johnson Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8074)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8089 (as of 2026-10-23).