Midwives for MOMS Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3768 To address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 31, 2023 Mrs. HINSON (for herself and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding educational opportuni- ties for midwives, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Midwives for Maxi- 4 mizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2023’’ or the 5 ‘‘Midwives for MOMS Act of 2023’’. 6 SEC. 2. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Public Health 8 Service Act is amended by inserting after section 760 of 9 such Act (42 U.S.C. 294k) the following: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3768.IH H3768 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3768 IH ‘‘SEC. 760A. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS. 1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 2 to institutions of higher education (as defined in sub- 3 sections (a) and (b) of section 101 of the Higher Edu- 4 cation Act of 1965) for the following: 5 ‘‘(1) Direct support of students in an accredited 6 midwifery school or program. 7 ‘‘(2) Establishment or expansion of an accred- 8 ited midwifery school or program. 9 ‘‘(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support 10 for increasing the number of, qualified preceptors 11 for training the students of an accredited midwifery 12 school or program. 13 ‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 14 grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give spe- 15 cial consideration to any institution of higher education 16 that— 17 ‘‘(1) agrees to prioritize students who plan to 18 practice in a health professional shortage area des- 19 ignated under section 332; and 20 ‘‘(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial 21 and ethnic minority representation in midwifery edu- 22 cation. 23 ‘‘(c) RESTRICTION.—The Secretary shall not provide 24 any assistance under this section to be used with respect 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3768.IH H3768 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3768 IH to a midwifery school or program within a school of nurs- 1 ing (as defined in section 801). 2 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 4 appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 5 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 6 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 7 available to carry out this section for any fiscal year, 8 the Secretary shall use— 9 ‘‘(A) 50 percent for subsection (a)(1); 10 ‘‘(B) 25 percent for subsection (a)(2); and 11 ‘‘(C) 25 percent for subsection (a)(3).’’. 12 (b) DEFINITIONS.— 13 (1) MIDWIFERY SCHOOL OR PROGRAM.—Sec- 14 tion 799B(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act 15 (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(A)) is amended— 16 (A) by inserting ‘‘ ‘midwifery school or pro- 17 gram’,’’ before ‘‘and ‘school of chiropractic’ ’’; 18 (B) by inserting ‘‘a degree or certificate in 19 midwifery or an equivalent degree or certifi- 20 cate,’’ before ‘‘and a degree of doctor of chiro- 21 practic or an equivalent degree’’; and 22 (C) by striking ‘‘any such school’’ and in- 23 serting ‘‘any such school or program’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3768.IH H3768 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3768 IH (2) ACCREDITED.—Section 799B(1)(E) of the 1 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(E)) is 2 amended by inserting ‘‘or a midwifery school or pro- 3 gram,’’ before ‘‘or a graduate program in health ad- 4 ministration’’. 5 SEC. 3. NURSE-MIDWIVES. 6 Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is amend- 7 ed by inserting after section 811 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 8 296j) the following: 9 ‘‘SEC. 812. MIDWIFERY EXPANSION PROGRAM. 10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 11 to schools of nursing for the following: 12 ‘‘(1) Direct support of students in an accredited 13 nurse-midwifery school or program. 14 ‘‘(2) Establishment or expansion of an accred- 15 ited nurse-midwifery school or program. 16 ‘‘(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support 17 for increasing the numbers of, preceptors at clinical 18 training sites to precept students training to become 19 certified nurse-midwives. 20 ‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 21 grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give spe- 22 cial consideration to any school of nursing that— 23 ‘‘(1) agrees to prioritize students who choose to 24 pursue an advanced education degree in nurse-mid- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3768.IH H3768 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3768 IH wifery to practice in a health professional shortage 1 area designated under section 332; and 2 ‘‘(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial 3 and ethnic minority representation in nurse-mid- 4 wifery education. 5 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this section, 7 there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 8 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 9 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 10 available to carry out this section for any fiscal year, 11 the Secretary shall use— 12 ‘‘(A) 50 percent for subsection (a)(1); 13 ‘‘(B) 25 percent for subsection (a)(2); and 14 ‘‘(C) 25 percent for subsection (a)(3).’’. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3768.IH H3768 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS