Perinatal Workforce Act

Summary#

This bill, the Perinatal Workforce Act, directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take actions to grow and diversify the workforce that cares for pregnant and postpartum people.

Key parts: HHS must issue guidance to States within two years on recruiting diverse, multidisciplinary maternity care teams and on providing culturally and linguistically congruent care. The National Institutes of Health must study respectful and culturally and linguistically congruent maternity care and report results within two years. The bill creates two grant programs: one to establish or expand accredited programs that train physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and midwives; and one to provide scholarships to grow the perinatal nursing workforce (including nurse practitioners, certified nurse‑midwives, and clinical nurse specialists focused on maternal and perinatal health). Grants can last up to five years and include reporting and technical assistance requirements. The Government Accountability Office must report on barriers to maternal health education and access within two years and every five years after that. The bill defines terms such as perinatal health worker, maternity care provider, and culturally and linguistically congruent care.

What it means for you#

• If you are a student or training program: the bill funds scholarships and program expansion aimed at midwifery, perinatal nursing, physician assistant training in maternal health, and other perinatal roles.
• If you are a maternity care employer: States would get guidance on recruiting and keeping more diverse staff and on adding multidisciplinary team members (for example, midwives, perinatal health workers, lactation consultants).
• If you are a patient: the bill supports efforts to increase culturally and linguistically matched care and to study and share best practices for respectful maternity care.
• If you work in underserved areas: the bill prioritizes programs that recruit and place providers in health professional shortage areas and areas with higher maternal health disparities.

Expenses#

• The bill authorizes $15,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the perinatal workforce grant program (section creating grants for midwives, PAs, and perinatal health workers).
• It also authorizes $15,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the perinatal nursing workforce scholarship program.
• No publicly available information on estimated total federal outlays beyond those authorizations or on mandatory spending or offsets.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.