I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7815 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 

the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 

to award grants to expand and improve maternal health care services, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 22, 2024 

Ms. WATERS (for herself, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LEE of 

California, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CLEAVER, 

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. 

TLAIB, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. BROWN, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CARSON, Mr. JACKSON of 

Illinois, Mr. MULLIN, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. COHEN, Ms. CLARKE of New 

York, Mr. TRONE, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. SWALWELL, Ms. ADAMS, and 

Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants 

to expand and improve maternal health care services, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mamas and Babies 

3 in Underserved Communities Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE MATERNAL 

5 HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN UNDERSERVED 

6 COMMUNITIES. 

7 Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 241 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317K 

9 of such Act (247b–12) the following: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 317K–1. GRANTS TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE MATER11 NAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN UNDER12 SERVED COMMUNITIES. 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

14 grants to eligible entities— 

15 ‘‘(1) to expand maternal health care services, 

16 including prenatal care, postnatal care for infants, 

17 and postpartum care for mothers; 

18 ‘‘(2) to improve the quality of such services; 

19 ‘‘(3) to improve health outcomes for women and 

20 infants receiving such services; and 

21 ‘‘(4) to reduce disparities in access to care, in 

22 the quality of services received, and in health out23 comes for women and infants in need of such serv24 ices. 

25 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this section, the term 

26 ‘eligible entity’ means a public or nonprofit private health 


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•HR 7815 IH

1 care provider that serves one or more minority, low-in2 come, or medically underserved communities. 

3 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec4 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 

5 that, as determined by the Secretary— 

6 ‘‘(1) primarily serve minority, low-income, or 

7 medically underserved communities; 

8 ‘‘(2) are led by individuals who have lived, were 

9 educated, or currently reside in the communities 

10 served; and 

11 ‘‘(3) are geographically located in the commu12 nities served. 

13 ‘‘(d) CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING GRANTS.—As a 

14 condition on receipt of a grant under this section, an eligi15 ble entity shall agree— 

16 ‘‘(1) to provide the health care services sup17 ported through the grant in a culturally and linguis18 tically appropriate manner; and 

19 ‘‘(2) to limit the percentage of grant funds used 

20 for administrative expenses to not more than 10 per21 cent. 

22 ‘‘(e) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec23 tion, an eligible entity shall submit an application at such 

24 time, in such manner, and containing such information 

25 and assurances as the Secretary may require. 


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•HR 7815 IH

1 ‘‘(f) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall require 

2 grantees under this section— 

3 ‘‘(1) to maximize the coordination of activities 

4 funded through this section with other federally 

5 funded maternal health care activities; and 

6 ‘‘(2) to minimize the duplication of such activi7 ties. 

8 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 ‘‘(1) The term ‘medically underserved commu10 nity’ has the meaning given to such term in section 

11 799B. 

12 ‘‘(2) The terms ‘postnatal’ and ‘postpartum’ 

13 refer to the period of 12 months following an in14 fant’s birth. 

15 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

16 carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro17 priated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 

18 2025 through 2029.’’. 

Æ 


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