Perinatal Workforce Act

The Perinatal Workforce Act directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to issue guidance encouraging hospitals and insurers to recruit and retain diverse maternity care providers, incorporate midwives and other specialists into care teams, and provide culturally congruent care. It also authorizes grants to establish or expand training programs for physician assistants, perinatal health workers, and midwives, with priority given to institutions that recruit from minority and underserved communities and include implicit bias training in their curricula. A separate grant program provides scholarships to nursing students focused on maternal and perinatal health, prioritizing schools that serve diverse populations and address health disparities in shortage areas. The bill requires the Secretary and the Government Accountability Office to conduct studies and reports on barriers to maternal health education, access to care, and disparities in outcomes, with $15 million authorized annually for each program from 2027 through 2031.