I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3849 

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 

JULY 18, 2019 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD (for herself, Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. SOTO, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. MOORE, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, and Ms. HAALAND) 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 opportunities for midwives, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Midwives for Maxi5 mizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2019’’ or the 

6 ‘‘Midwives for MOMS Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Public Health 

3 Service Act is amended by inserting after section 760 of 

4 such Act (42 U.S.C. 294k) the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 760A. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS. 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 

7 to institutions of higher education (as defined in sub8 sections (a) and (b) of section 101 of the Higher Edu9 cation Act of 1965) for the following: 

10 ‘‘(1) Direct support of students in an accredited 

11 midwifery school or program. 

12 ‘‘(2) Establishment or expansion of an accred13 ited midwifery school or program. 

14 ‘‘(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support 

15 for increasing the number of, qualified preceptors 

16 for training the students of an accredited midwifery 

17 school or program. 

18 ‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 

19 grants under subsection (a), the Secretary give special 

20 consideration to any institution of higher education that— 

21 ‘‘(1) agrees to prioritize students who plan to 

22 practice in a health professional shortage area des23 ignated under section 332; and 

24 ‘‘(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial 

25 and ethnic minority representation in midwifery edu26 cation. 


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1 ‘‘(c) RESTRICTION.—The Secretary shall not provide 

2 any assistance under this section to be used with respect 

3 to a midwifery school or program within a school of nurs4 ing (as defined in section 801). 

5 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

7 appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 

8 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 

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 (b) DEFINITIONS.— 

16 (1) MIDWIFERY SCHOOL OR PROGRAM.—Sec17 tion 799B(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(A)) is amended— 

19 (A) by inserting ‘‘ ‘midwifery school or pro20 gram’,’’ before ‘‘and ‘school of chiropractic’ ’’; 

21 (B) by inserting ‘‘a degree or certificate in 

22 midwifery or an equivalent degree or certifi23 cate,’’ before ‘‘and a degree of doctor of chiro24 practic or an equivalent degree’’; and 


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1 (C) by striking ‘‘any such school’’ and in2 serting ‘‘any such school or program’’. 

3 (2) ACCREDITED.—Section 799B(1)(E) of the 

4 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(E)) is 

5 amended by inserting ‘‘or a midwifery school or pro6 gram,’’ before ‘‘or a graduate program in health ad7 ministration’’. 

8 SEC. 3. NURSE-MIDWIVES. 

9 Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is amend10 ed by inserting after section 811 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 296j) the following: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 812. MIDWIFERY EXPANSION PROGRAM. 

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

14 to schools of nursing for the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) Direct support of students in an accredited 

16 nurse-midwifery school or program. 

17 ‘‘(2) Establishment or expansion of an accred18 ited nurse-midwifery school or program. 

19 ‘‘(3) Securing, preparing, or providing support 

20 for increasing the numbers of, preceptors at clinical 

21 training sites to precept students training to become 

22 certified nurse-midwives. 

23 ‘‘(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 

24 grants under subsection (a), the Secretary give special 

25 consideration to any school of nursing that— 


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1 ‘‘(1) agrees to prioritize students who choose to 

2 pursue an advanced education degree in nurse-mid3 wifery to practice in a health professional shortage 

4 area designated under section 332; and 

5 ‘‘(2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial 

6 and ethnic minority representation in nurse-mid7 wifery education. 

8 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this section, 

10 there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 

11 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 

12 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 

13 available to carry out this section for any fiscal year, 

14 the Secretary shall use— 

15 ‘‘(A) 50 percent for subsection (a)(1); 

16 ‘‘(B) 25 percent for subsection (a)(2); and 

17 ‘‘(C) 25 percent for subsection (a)(3).’’. 

Æ 


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