IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1209 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2016 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to distribute mater-
nity care health professionals to health professional 
shortage areas identified as in need of maternity care 
health services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to 
Maternity Care Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MATERNITY CARE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TARGET 
AREAS. 
Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(k)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Adminis-
trator of the Health Resources and Services Administra-
tion, shall identify, based on the data collected under para-
graph (3), maternity care health professional target areas 
that satisfy the criteria described in paragraph (2) for 
purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance under 
this title, assigning to such identified areas maternity care 
health professionals who, without application of this sub-
section, would otherwise be eligible for such assistance. 
The Secretary shall distribute maternity care health pro-
fessionals within health professional shortage areas using 
the maternity care health professional target areas so 
identified. 
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall establish criteria for maternity care health profes-
sional target areas that identify geographic areas within 
health professional shortage areas that have a shortage 
of maternity care health professionals. 
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‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary 
shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data com-
paring the availability and need of maternity care health 
services in health professional shortage areas and in areas 
within such health professional shortage areas. 
‘‘(4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, in-
cluding medical societies, organizations representing med-
ical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in 
maternity care. 
‘‘(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘full 
scope maternity care health services’ includes during labor 
care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care. 
‘‘(6) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed 
as— 
‘‘(A) requiring the identification of a maternity 
care health professional target area in an area not 
otherwise already designated as a health professional 
shortage area; or 
‘‘(B) affecting the types of health professionals, 
without application of this subsection, otherwise eli-
gible for assistance, including a loan repayment or 
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scholarship, pursuant to the application of this sec-
tion.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 14, 
2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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