I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9335 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to provide 

services from midwives to covered beneficiaries under the TRICARE program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 9, 2024 

Mr. KILMER (for himself, Mr. CISCOMANI, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, and Ms. 

STRICKLAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot 

program to provide services from midwives to covered 

beneficiaries under the TRICARE program. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maternal and Infant 

5 Delivery Wellness and Integration with Vital Expertise 

6 Support for Service Members Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘MID7 WIVES for Service Members Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO MAKE MIDWIFE SERVICES 

2 AVAILABLE THROUGH TRICARE. 

3 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than one year after 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

5 Defense shall begin a five-year pilot program to provide 

6 services from covered midwives to covered beneficiaries 

7 under the TRICARE program. 

8 (b) AUTHORITY TO MAKE PERMANENT.—If the Sec9 retary determines, after the termination of the pilot pro10 gram that such pilot program was successful, the Sec11 retary may prescribe such regulations to establish a per12 manent program to make services from covered midwives 

13 available to covered beneficiaries as the Secretary deter14 mines appropriate. 

15 (c) REPORTS.— 

16 (1) IMPLEMENTATION REPORT.—Not later than 

17 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

18 the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 

19 Armed Services of the House of Representatives and 

20 the Senate a plan to implement the pilot program 

21 under subsection (a). 

22 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

23 after the date on which the pilot program begins and 

24 annually thereafter until the date that is 1 year 

25 after the termination of the pilot program, the Sec26 retary shall submit to the Committees on Armed 


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1 Services of the House of Representatives and the 

2 Senate a report including: 

3 (A) The total cost of the pilot program and 

4 the cost per covered beneficiary who received 

5 care under the pilot program. 

6 (B) The total number of covered bene7 ficiaries who received care under the pilot pro8 gram. 

9 (C) The race, ethnicity, age, sex, relation10 ship status, Armed Force, military occupation, 

11 and rank, as applicable, of covered beneficiaries 

12 who received care under the pilot program. 

13 (D) An assessment of the effects of the 

14 pilot program on quality of care, including— 

15 (i) on maternal and fetal outcomes; 

16 and 

17 (ii) on the number of pre-term births, 

18 low-weight births, and rates of caesarean 

19 section, and such other data points as the 

20 Secretary determines appropriate. 

21 (E) An assessment of patient satisfaction 

22 of covered beneficiaries who received care 

23 through the pilot program. 

24 (F) An assessment of access to maternity 

25 and labor and delivery care for covered beneVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:23 Sep 07, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9335.IH H9335

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1 ficiaries, including average wait time for an ini2 tial appointment and average travel time to the 

3 provider. 

4 (G) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

5 the pilot program. 

6 (H) Recommendations for adjustments to 

7 the pilot program. 

8 (I) The estimated cost savings as a result 

9 of improved maternal and fetal health outcomes 

10 due to the pilot program. 

11 (J) The Secretary of Defense’s rec12 ommendations relating to changes to the pilot 

13 program, an extension of the pilot program, and 

14 whether the pilot program should be expanded 

15 made permanent. 

16 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) The terms ‘‘covered beneficiary’’ and 

18 ‘‘TRICARE program’’ have the meanings given such 

19 terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States 

20 Code. 

21 (2) The term ‘‘covered midwife’’ means a cer22 tified professional midwife or certified midwife who 

23 meets— 

24 (A) the international definition of a mid25 wife, and global standards for midwifery eduVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:23 Sep 07, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9335.IH H9335

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1 cation, established by the International Confed2 eration of Midwives, and 

3 (B) any professional credentialing require4 ment required to practice midwifery under ap5 plicable State law. 

Æ 


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