A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In the other chamber's committee
Passed one chamber and has been handed to a committee in the other.
The committee decides whether it goes any further, and most bills that reach a committee never leave it. A committee that simply does nothing kills a bill without anyone ever voting against it, so no news from here is usually the news.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed House voice vote
- In Senate committee
The House by voice vote (members called out yes or no together): no member's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This Act establishes the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health. The initiative focuses on improving maternal health outcomes through specific research objectives. It aims to reduce preventable causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The program also targets health disparities and seeks to improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy. Implementation may include various forms of funding such as grants or contracts. The bill authorizes $63,400,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +8
Would women be better off under this?
The act directly funds research and interventions to reduce maternal mortality and improve health for pregnant and postpartum women.
- Scored +7
Does this put more money into medical research?
The act authorizes $63,400,000 annually for NIH research into maternal mortality and morbidity.
- Scored +6
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The initiative specifically targets the reduction of health disparities in populations with disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Reducing Mortality and Morbidity: The initiative aims to advance research to reduce preventable causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
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Addressing Health Disparities: The bill seeks to reduce health disparities related to maternal health outcomes, specifically for populations with disproportionately high rates (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Comprehensive Care for Women: The program focuses on improving health for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after pregnancy (Section 2(b)(1)(C)).
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Community-Based Interventions: The initiative will target health disparities by implementing and evaluating community-based interventions for disproportionately affected women (Section 2(b)(3)(A)).
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Understanding Underlying Causes: The initiative uses an integrated approach to understand biological and behavioral factors affecting maternal health (Section 2(b)(2)) and identifies risk factors and biological mechanisms (Section 2(b)(3)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The act directly funds research and interventions to reduce maternal mortality and improve health for pregnant and postpartum women. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill addresses maternal health disparities that disproportionately impact certain demographic groups. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — By targeting health disparities and community-based interventions, the bill aims to assist disproportionately affected populations.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The act authorizes $63,400,000 annually for NIH research into maternal mortality and morbidity. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill funds research and community-based interventions to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The initiative specifically targets the reduction of health disparities in populations with disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality.
- 7/21/2026
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 7/20/2026
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4651)
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4651)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6238.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4651-4652)
- Mr. Guthrie moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 7/9/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-734.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 638.
- 5/21/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 46 - 0.
- 5/19/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/20/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
April McClain DelaneyDemocrat · Maryland
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia