IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4995 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve obstetric 
care and maternal health outcomes, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Maternal Health Qual-
ity Improvement Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. INNOVATION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH. 
Part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in the section designation of section 330M 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254c–19) by inserting a pe-
riod after ‘‘330M’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 330M of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254c–19) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 330N. INNOVATION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with experts representing a variety of clinical specialties, 
State, Tribal, or local public health officials, researchers, 
epidemiologists, statisticians, and community organiza-
tions, shall establish or continue a program to award com-
petitive grants to eligible entities for the purposes of— 
‘‘(1) identifying, developing, or disseminating 
best practices to improve maternal health care qual-
ity and outcomes, eliminate preventable maternal 
mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and im-
prove infant health outcomes, which may include— 
‘‘(A) information on evidence-based prac-
tices to improve the quality and safety of ma-
ternal health care in hospitals and other health 
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care settings of a State or health care system, 
including by addressing topics commonly associ-
ated with health complications or risks related 
to prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and 
postpartum care; 
‘‘(B) best practices for improving maternal 
health care based on data findings and reviews 
conducted by a State maternal mortality review 
committee that address topics of relevance to 
common complications or health risks related to 
prenatal 
care, 
labor 
care, 
birthing, 
and 
postpartum care; and 
‘‘(C) information on addressing deter-
minants of health that impact maternal health 
outcomes for women before, during, and after 
pregnancy; 
‘‘(2) collaborating with State maternal mor-
tality review committees to identify issues for the de-
velopment and implementation of evidence-based 
practices to improve maternal health outcomes and 
reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe 
maternal morbidity; 
‘‘(3) providing technical assistance and sup-
porting the implementation of best practices identi-
fied pursuant to paragraph (1) to entities providing 
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health care services to pregnant and postpartum 
women; and 
‘‘(4) identifying, developing, and evaluating new 
models of care that improve maternal and infant 
health outcomes, which may include the integration 
of community-based services and clinical care. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible for a grant 
under subsection (a), an entity shall— 
‘‘(1) submit to the Secretary an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require; and 
‘‘(2) demonstrate in such application that the 
entity is capable of carrying out data-driven mater-
nal safety and quality improvement initiatives in the 
areas of obstetrics and gynecology or maternal 
health. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 
2025.’’. 
SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 
Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by striking section 763 (42 U.S.C. 294p) and inserting 
the following: 
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‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 
2025.’’. 
SEC. 4. STUDY ON TRAINING TO REDUCE AND PREVENT 
DISCRIMINATION. 
Not later than 2 years after date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, 
through a contract with an independent research organiza-
tion, conduct a study and make recommendations for ac-
credited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medi-
cine, and nursing, and other health professional training 
programs, on best practices related to training to reduce 
and prevent discrimination, including training related to 
implicit and explicit biases, in the provision of health care 
services related to prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and 
postpartum care. 
SEC. 5. PERINATAL QUALITY COLLABORATIVES. 
Section 317K(a)(2) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 247b–12(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(E)(i) The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention and in coordination with other of-
fices and agencies, as appropriate, shall estab-
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lish or continue a competitive grant program 
for the establishment or support of perinatal 
quality collaboratives to improve perinatal care 
and perinatal health outcomes for pregnant and 
postpartum women and their infants. A State, 
Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization may use 
funds received through such grant to— 
‘‘(I) support the use of evidence-based 
or evidence-informed practices to improve 
outcomes for maternal and infant health; 
‘‘(II) work with clinical teams; ex-
perts; State, local, and, as appropriate, 
Tribal public health officials; and stake-
holders, including patients and families, to 
identify, develop, or disseminate best prac-
tices to improve perinatal care and out-
comes; and 
‘‘(III) employ strategies that provide 
opportunities for health care professionals 
and clinical teams to collaborate across 
health care settings and disciplines, includ-
ing primary care and mental health, as ap-
propriate, to improve maternal and infant 
health outcomes, which may include the 
use of data to provide timely feedback 
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across hospital and clinical teams to in-
form responses, and to provide support 
and training to hospital and clinical teams 
for quality improvement, as appropriate. 
‘‘(ii) To be eligible for a grant under 
clause (i), an entity shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application in such form and manner 
and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require.’’. 
SEC. 6. INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR PREGNANT AND 
POSTPARTUM WOMEN. 
(a) GRANTS.—Title III of the Public Health Service 
Act is amended by inserting after section 330N of such 
Act, as added by section 2, the following: 
‘‘SEC. 330O. INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR PREGNANT AND 
POSTPARTUM WOMEN. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 
to States, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations for the 
purpose of establishing or operating evidence-based or in-
novative, evidence-informed programs to deliver integrated 
health care services to pregnant and postpartum women 
to optimize the health of women and their infants, includ-
ing to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes, preg-
nancy-related deaths, and related health disparities (in-
cluding such disparities associated with racial and ethnic 
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minority populations), and, as appropriate, by addressing 
issues researched under subsection (b)(2) of section 317K. 
‘‘(b) INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR PREGNANT AND 
POSTPARTUM WOMEN.— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under subsection (a), a State, Indian Tribe, or 
Tribal organization shall work with relevant stake-
holders that coordinate care (including coordinating 
resources and referrals for health care and social 
services) to develop and carry out the program, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) State, Tribal, and local agencies re-
sponsible for Medicaid, public health, social 
services, mental health, and substance use dis-
order treatment and services; 
‘‘(B) health care providers who serve preg-
nant and postpartum women; and 
‘‘(C) community-based health organiza-
tions and health workers, including providers of 
home visiting services and individuals rep-
resenting communities with disproportionately 
high rates of maternal mortality and severe ma-
ternal morbidity, and including individuals rep-
resenting racial and ethnic minority popu-
lations. 
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‘‘(2) TERMS.— 
‘‘(A) PERIOD.—A grant awarded under 
subsection (a) shall be made for a period of 5 
years. Any supplemental award made to a 
grantee under subsection (a) may be made for 
a period of less than 5 years. 
‘‘(B) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) give preference to States, Indian 
Tribes, and Tribal organizations that have 
the highest rates of maternal mortality and 
severe maternal morbidity relative to other 
such States, Indian Tribes, or Tribal orga-
nizations, respectively; and 
‘‘(ii) shall consider health disparities 
related to maternal mortality and severe 
maternal morbidity, including such dispari-
ties associated with racial and ethnic mi-
nority populations. 
‘‘(C) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give 
priority to applications from up to 15 entities 
described in subparagraph (B)(i). 
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