Perinatal Workforce Act

Key Points

• This bill creates new grant programs to help more people become midwives, nurses, and other pregnancy health workers. It provides $30 million each year from 2027 to 2031 to help schools start or grow these training programs. The goal is to make sure there are enough professionals to care for moms before and after they give birth.
• The policy focuses on recruiting students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. It offers scholarships to students who agree to work in areas that do not have enough doctors or where health outcomes for moms are poor. This helps ensure that every community has access to high quality care from people who understand their needs.
• Many parts of the country face a shortage of maternal health workers, and minority groups often face higher risks during pregnancy. By training more diverse providers and requiring bias and racism training in schools, the bill aims to make healthcare fairer and safer for everyone.
• Beyond doctors and nurses, the bill supports perinatal health workers like doulas, lactation consultants, and social workers. It also asks the government to study why it is hard for some people to finish their medical education and suggests ways to pay these workers more fairly.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.