Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. HHS AGENCY DIRECTIVES. 
(a) GUIDANCE TO STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall issue and dissemi-
nate guidance to States to educate providers, man-
aged care entities, and other insurers about the 
value and process of delivering respectful maternal 
health care through diverse and multidisciplinary 
care provider models. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The guidance required by 
paragraph (1) shall address how States can encour-
age and incentivize hospitals, health systems, mid-
wifery practices, freestanding birth centers, other 
maternity care provider groups, managed care enti-
ties, and other insurers— 
(A) to recruit and retain maternity care 
providers, mental and behavioral health care 
providers acting in accordance with State law, 
registered dietitians or nutrition professionals 
(as such term is defined in section 1861(vv)(2) 
of 
the 
Social 
Security 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1395x(vv)(2))), and lactation consultants cer-
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tified by the International Board of Lactation 
Consultants Examiners— 
(i) from racially, ethnically, and lin-
guistically diverse backgrounds; 
(ii) with experience practicing in ra-
cially and ethnically diverse communities; 
and 
(iii) who have undergone training on 
implicit bias and racism; 
(B) to incorporate into maternity care 
teams— 
(i) midwives who meet at a minimum 
the international definition of the midwife 
and global standards for midwifery edu-
cation as established by the International 
Confederation of Midwives; and 
(ii) perinatal health workers; 
(C) to provide collaborative, culturally con-
gruent care; and 
(D) to provide opportunities for individuals 
enrolled in accredited midwifery education pro-
grams to participate in job shadowing with ma-
ternity care teams in hospitals, health systems, 
midwifery practices, and freestanding birth cen-
ters. 
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(b) STUDY ON RESPECTFUL AND CULTURALLY CON-
GRUENT MATERNITY CARE.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services acting through the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health (in this subsection re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a study 
on best practices in respectful and culturally con-
gruent maternity care. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 
(A) complete the study required by para-
graph (1); 
(B) submit to the Congress and make pub-
licly available a report on the results of such 
study; and 
(C) include in such report— 
(i) a compendium of examples of hos-
pitals, health systems, midwifery practices, 
freestanding birth centers, other maternity 
care provider groups, managed care enti-
ties, and other insurers that are delivering 
respectful and culturally congruent mater-
nal health care; 
(ii) a compendium of examples of hos-
pitals, health systems, midwifery practices, 
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freestanding birth centers, other maternity 
care provider groups, managed care enti-
ties, and other insurers that have made 
progress in reducing disparities in mater-
nal health outcomes and improving birth-
ing 
experiences 
for 
pregnant 
and 
postpartum individuals from racial and 
ethnic minority groups; and 
(iii) recommendations to hospitals, 
health systems, midwifery practices, free-
standing birth centers, other maternity 
care provider groups, managed care enti-
ties, and other insurers, for best practices 
in respectful and culturally congruent ma-
ternity care. 
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO GROW AND DIVERSIFY THE PERINATAL 
WORKFORCE. 
Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 757 (42 U.S.C. 294f) the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 758. PERINATAL WORKFORCE GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to entities to establish or expand programs de-
scribed in subsection (b) to grow and diversify the 
perinatal workforce. 
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‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Recipients of grants under 
this section shall use the grants to grow and diversify the 
perinatal workforce by— 
‘‘(1) establishing schools or programs that pro-
vide education and training to individuals seeking 
appropriate licensing or certification as— 
‘‘(A) physician assistants who will complete 
clinical training in the field of maternal and 
perinatal health; or 
‘‘(B) perinatal health workers; and 
‘‘(2) expanding the capacity of existing schools 
or programs described in paragraph (1), for the pur-
poses of increasing the number of students enrolled 
in such schools or programs, including by awarding 
scholarships for students. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITIZATION.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to any entity 
that— 
‘‘(1) has demonstrated a commitment to re-
cruiting and retaining students and faculty from ra-
cial and ethnic minority groups; 
‘‘(2) has developed a strategy to recruit and re-
tain a diverse pool of students into the perinatal 
workforce program or school supported by funds re-
ceived through the grant, particularly from racial 
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