A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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 Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2025, or Midwives for MOMS Act of 2025, aims to fix maternity care shortages. It allows the Secretary to provide grants to institutions of higher education for midwifery schools and programs. It also allows grants for schools of nursing to expand nurse-midwifery programs. These funds support students, the creation of programs, and the recruitment of preceptors. The bill prioritizes students practicing in shortage areas and increasing minority representation.
Yes· 3 of 24
- Scored +9
Would women be better off under this?
Directly targets the improvement of maternity care and the professionalization of midwifery.
- Scored +8
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation and addressing shortages in underserved areas.
- Scored +8
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation and addressing shortages in underserved areas.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill authorizes new federal spending of $35 million over five years.
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill increases government spending through grant appropriations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Midwifery Education: Grants can be used for direct student support, establishing or expanding accredited midwifery schools, and increasing qualified preceptors (Section 2, SEC. 760A(a)).
-
Focus on Underserved Areas: Special consideration for grants is given to institutions that prioritize students planning to practice in health professional shortage areas (Section 2, SEC. 760A(b)(1) and Section 3, SEC. 812(b)(1)).
-
Improved Diversity: The bill provides special consideration to institutions focusing on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery and nurse-midwifery education (Section 2, SEC. 760A(b)(2) and Section 3, SEC. 812(b)(2)).
-
Support for Nurse-Midwives: The bill authorizes $20,000,000 to support students, expansion of programs, and preceptors specifically for certified nurse-midwives (Section 3, SEC. 812).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Funding Restrictions for Certain Schools: The Secretary is prohibited from providing assistance under Section 2 to any midwifery school or program that is located within a school of nursing (Section 2, SEC. 760A(c)).
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? — Directly targets the improvement of maternity care and the professionalization of midwifery. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation and addressing shortages in underserved areas. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation and addressing shortages in underserved areas. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation and addressing shortages in underserved areas. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Specifically prioritizes students practicing in designated shortage areas. Would students be better off under this? — Provides grants and direct support for midwifery and nursing students. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly focuses on increasing minority representation in midwifery education. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Focuses on shortage areas and minority representation, benefiting underserved low-income populations. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides financial support and educational opportunities for aspiring midwives. Would children be better off under this? — Improves maternity outcomes for newborns by increasing access to qualified midwives. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Improved access to care in shortage areas often benefits immigrant populations. Would farmers be better off under this? — Rural development of health services benefits farming communities. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Improves maternity care access for women of childbearing age. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Generally improves health system capacity for maternity care. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Increases the overall number of qualified maternity providers. Would white Americans be better off under this? — General improvement in maternity care access. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Marginal benefit through improved healthcare infrastructure.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Directly addresses maternity care shortages by increasing the number of trained midwives.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Prioritizes grants for institutions that increase racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — Provides direct student support via grants for midwifery and nurse-midwifery programs.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Prioritizes students planning to practice in health professional shortage areas, which are often rural.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — Expanding midwifery programs and schools likely leads to more healthcare professional positions. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Investment in healthcare education and workforce expansion can contribute to economic growth. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill increases government spending through grant appropriations. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill authorizes new federal spending of $35 million over five years.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Increases federal oversight and funding distribution in health education.
- 5/18/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/5/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California