A Democratic bill with 43 Democratic cosponsors · See all 43 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Perinatal Workforce Act aims to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce through several targeted actions. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide guidance to States regarding the recruitment and retention of diverse maternity care providers. The bill establishes grant programs to fund accredited schools and nursing programs that train various maternal health professionals. Additionally, it mandates a study on best practices for respectful and culturally congruent maternity care. Finally, the Act requires the GAO to report on barriers to maternal health education and access to care.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +8
Would women be better off under this?
The bill targets the improvement of maternal and perinatal health through a more diverse and specialized workforce.
- Scored +8
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The bill specifically prioritizes recruiting and retaining diverse providers and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health.
- Scored +7
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
The bill focuses on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Diversity in Healthcare: The bill seeks to recruit and retain healthcare providers from racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse backgrounds to provide more representative care (Section 2(a)(2)(A)).
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Expanded Access to Specialized Care: By providing grants to establish or expand schools, the bill aims to increase the number of physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and midwives (Section 3(b)(1)).
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Improved Care Standards: The guidance aims to encourage the delivery of respectful, collaborative, and culturally and linguistically congruent care (Section 2(a)(2)(C)).
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Financial Support for Students: Grant recipients are encouraged to use funds for scholarships to increase student enrollment in accredited programs (Section 3(b)(2)).
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Targeted Support for Underserved Areas: The bill prioritizes the recruitment of students who plan to practice in health professional shortage areas or areas with significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes (Section 3(c)(3)-(4)).
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Enhanced Nursing Workforce: Through specific nursing grants, the bill provides scholarships for students seeking to become nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, or clinical nurse specialists (Section 4(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned 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 bill targets the improvement of maternal and perinatal health through a more diverse and specialized workforce. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill focuses on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill promotes more representative and culturally congruent healthcare for diverse ethnic groups. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes provisions to recruit diverse providers and address health outcome disparities in minority communities. Would children be better off under this? — Improving maternal and perinatal care outcomes directly benefits newborn and infant health. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill aims to address barriers to care and education that particularly affect low-income women.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill specifically prioritizes recruiting and retaining diverse providers and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill funds the expansion of the perinatal workforce and establishes scholarships to increase access to maternity care providers.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill provides grants to support scholarships for students in accredited maternal and perinatal health programs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary and the GAO to submit and publish several reports regarding maternal health and workforce data.
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/25/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 42 Cosponsors 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.
Alma AdamsDemocrat · North Carolina
Joyce BeattyDemocrat · Ohio
Wesley BellDemocrat · Missouri
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Angie CraigDemocrat · Minnesota
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormickDemocrat · Florida
Herbert ConawayDemocrat · New Jersey
Suzan DelBeneDemocrat · Washington
Debbie DingellDemocrat · Michigan
Shomari FiguresDemocrat · Alabama
John GaramendiDemocrat · California
Jesús GarcíaDemocrat · Illinois
Adelita GrijalvaDemocrat · Arizona
Steven HorsfordDemocrat · Nevada
Jahana HayesDemocrat · Connecticut
Glenn IveyDemocrat · Maryland
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Sara JacobsDemocrat · California
Julie JohnsonDemocrat · Texas
Raja KrishnamoorthiDemocrat · Illinois
Sydney Kamlager-DoveDemocrat · California
George LatimerDemocrat · New York
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Morgan McGarveyDemocrat · Kentucky
LaMonica McIverDemocrat · New Jersey
Christian MenefeeDemocrat · Texas
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Ayanna PressleyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Robert ScottDemocrat · Virginia
Adam SmithDemocrat · Washington
Terri SewellDemocrat · Alabama
Darren SotoDemocrat · Florida
Melanie StansburyDemocrat · New Mexico
Mark TakanoDemocrat · California
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Lauren UnderwoodDemocrat · Illinois
Marc VeaseyDemocrat · Texas
Frederica WilsonDemocrat · Florida
Bonnie Watson ColemanDemocrat · New Jersey