PRIA Logo™
119-s-4186119th CongressWALLET

Perinatal Workforce Act

Sponsored By: Senator Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would build and diversify the perinatal workforce to deliver more respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternal care. It uses guidance, studies, grant programs, and reporting to expand training and place more diverse providers where gaps and disparities are worst.

Show full summary
  • Aims to improve patient experience and reduce racial and ethnic disparities by directing HHS to issue state guidance on respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care and by requiring the NIH Director to report within two years on best practices for respectful care and disparity reduction.
  • Creates a Title VII grant program to start or expand accredited training for midwives who meet international standards, perinatal health workers, and physician assistants, with scholarships and priority for recruiting racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students; grants may last up to 5 years and set aside $15.0 million per year for 2027–2031.
  • Adds perinatal nursing workforce grants for nursing schools to fund scholarships for maternal/perinatal nurse practitioners and certified nurse‑midwives, prioritizes clinical placements in Health Professional Shortage Areas and areas with disparities, requires bias and racism training, and directs the Government Accountability Office to report on education barriers and disparities every 5 years.

*Authorizes $15.0 million per year for each of the two new grant programs for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, totaling $30.0 million per year in potential appropriations if funded.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Grants to grow perinatal workforce

If enacted, the bill would fund grants to create or expand training programs and scholarships for perinatal clinicians and workers. Grants would support nursing roles (nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) and other programs for physician assistants, midwives, and perinatal health workers. Grants could run up to 5 years. The Secretary would give priority to programs that recruit and retain racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students and train graduates to work in shortage or high-disparity areas. Each program is authorized $15 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and the Secretary would report to Congress on program results within 4 years.

Definitions for perinatal care programs

If enacted, the bill would add clear definitions for key terms used in the Act. It would define culturally and linguistically congruent care, list who counts as a maternity care provider (including internationally defined midwives and State-accredited doulas), describe perinatal health workers (doulas, community health workers, peer supporters, interpreters, and others), and set postpartum as the 1-year period after pregnancy. The bill would also reference the statute for the definition of racial and ethnic minority group.

Federal guidance on respectful maternity care

If enacted, the HHS Secretary would issue guidance to States within 2 years on delivering respectful, culturally and linguistically matched maternal care. The guidance would tell States how to recruit and keep diverse maternity and related providers and how to include midwives, perinatal health workers, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and certified lactation consultants on care teams. It would require attention to implicit-bias and racism training and suggest job-shadowing for accredited midwifery students. The guidance would be shared with managed care entities and insurers.

GAO reports on training and access barriers

If enacted, the Comptroller General would report to Congress within 2 years and every 5 years after that on barriers to midwifery and other maternity-related education and workforce entry. The reports would assess barriers for low-income and minority students, obstacles to meeting international midwifery education standards, and disparities in access to maternity providers by race, language, place, gender identity, and insurance. The GAO would also recommend ways to improve equity in pay for perinatal health workers under public and private insurers.

Study on respectful maternity care practices

If enacted, the NIH Director would complete a study and public report within 2 years on best practices in respectful, culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care. The report would include lists of programs delivering such care, examples that reduced racial and ethnic disparities, and recommendations for hospitals, health systems, midwifery practices, freestanding birth centers, other providers, managed care entities, and insurers. The results would be sent to Congress and posted publicly.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

WI • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation