119-s1599

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1599 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1599

 To address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity 
 outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 5, 2025

Mr. Lujan (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Klobuchar, and 
 Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity 
 outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for 
 other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Midwives for Maximizing Optimal 
Maternity Services Act of 2025'' or the ``Midwives for MOMS Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is 
amended by inserting after 

section 760 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 294k) the 
following:

``

SEC. 760A. MIDWIFERY SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to institutions 
of higher education (as defined in subsections

    (a) and

    (b) of 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) for the following:
 ``

    (1) Direct support of students in an accredited midwifery 
 school or program.
 ``

    (2) Establishment or expansion of an accredited midwifery 
 school or program.
 ``

    (3) Securing, preparing, or providing support for 
 increasing the number of, qualified preceptors for training the 
 students of an accredited midwifery school or program.
 ``

    (b) Special Considerations.--In awarding grants under subsection

    (a) , the Secretary shall give special consideration to any institution 
of higher education that--
 ``

    (1) agrees to prioritize students who plan to practice in 
 a health professional shortage area designated under 

section 332; and
 ``

    (2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial and ethnic 
 minority representation in midwifery education.
 ``
            (c) Restriction.--The Secretary shall not provide any assistance 
under this section to be used with respect to a midwifery school or 
program within a school of nursing (as defined in 

section 801).
 ``
            (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
 to carry out this section $15,000,000 for the period of fiscal 
 years 2025 through 2029.
 ``

    (2) Allocation.--Of the amounts made available to carry 
 out this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use--
 ``
        (A) 50 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (1) ;
 ``
        (B) 25 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (2) ; and
 ``
            (C) 25 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (3) .''.

    (b) 

=== Definitions. ===
-

    (1) Midwifery school or program.--

Section 799B

    (1)
        (A) of the 
 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p

    (1)
        (A) ) is amended--
        (A) by inserting ```midwifery school or program','' 
 before ``and `school of chiropractic''';
        (B) by inserting ``a degree or certificate in 
 midwifery or an equivalent degree or certificate,'' 
 before ``and a degree of doctor of chiropractic or an 
 equivalent degree''; and
            (C) by striking ``any such school'' and inserting 
 ``any such school or program''.

    (2) Accredited.--

Section 799B

    (1)
        (E) of the Public Health 
 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p

    (1)
        (E) ) is amended by inserting ``or 
 a midwifery school or program,'' before ``or a graduate program 
 in health administration''.

SEC. 3. NURSE-MIDWIVES.

 Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting 
after 

section 811 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 296j) the following:

``

SEC. 812. MIDWIFERY EXPANSION PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to schools of 
nursing for the following:
 ``

    (1) Direct support of students in an accredited nurse-
 midwifery school or program.
 ``

    (2) Establishment or expansion of an accredited nurse-
 midwifery school or program.
 ``

    (3) Securing, preparing, or providing support for 
 increasing the numbers of, preceptors at clinical training 
 sites to precept students training to become certified nurse-
 midwives.
 ``

    (b) Special Considerations.--In awarding grants under subsection

    (a) , the Secretary shall give special consideration to any school of 
nursing that--
 ``

    (1) agrees to prioritize students who choose to pursue an 
 advanced education degree in nurse-midwifery to practice in a 
 health professional shortage area designated under 

section 332; 
 and
 ``

    (2) demonstrates a focus on increasing racial and ethnic 
 minority representation in nurse-midwifery education.
 ``
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To carry out this section, there is 
 authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for the period of 
 fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
 ``

    (2) Allocation.--Of the amounts made available to carry 
 out this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use--
 ``
        (A) 50 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (1) ;
 ``
        (B) 25 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (2) ; and
 ``
            (C) 25 percent for subsection

    (a)

    (3) .''.
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