Bills · HR 8089
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 8089Health
Perinatal Workforce Act
This bill creates new grants and training programs to hire more midwives and birth workers from diverse backgrounds to help fix the maternal health crisis and ensure respectful care for all parents.AI-written
INTRO MAR 25· LAST ACTION MAR 25
READING
14MIN
COSPONSORS
43
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenExpands and diversifies the maternal health workforce by funding the training of midwives and birth workers from minority backgrounds to improve safety for new mothers.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThe United States faces a maternal health crisis, with some of the highest mortality rates among developed nations, especially for Black and Indigenous mothers. Research suggests that patients often have better health outcomes when their healthcare providers understand their cultural background and treat them with respect. If this bill becomes law, it could reduce the shortage of birth workers in underserved areas and potentially lower the rate of pregnancy-related deaths by diversifying the workforce and standardizing 'respectful care' practices.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Creates a grant program to establish or expand schools for midwives, physician assistants, and perinatal health workers.
It provides the financial support needed to train a new generation of birth workers in areas that lack medical facilities.
PROVISION 02
Requires HHS to issue guidance to states and insurers on recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce that has undergone implicit bias training.
This aims to fix systemic issues in how hospitals and insurance companies hire and value different types of care providers.
PROVISION 03
Directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study best practices for 'culturally and linguistically congruent' maternity care.
It creates a formal, evidence-based standard for what respectful and effective care should look like across the country.
PROVISION 04
Prioritizes grant funding for programs that recruit students committed to working in health professional shortage areas.
This ensures that new healthcare workers are incentivized to move to the communities that need them the most.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 43
D· Wisconsin
YRS IN OFFICE
21
BILLS LED
34
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 43 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSMAR 25
Introduced in House
MAR 25
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 8089
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedMar 25, 2026
Last actionMar 25, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 25, 2026
House BillHR 8089Health
Perinatal Workforce Act
This bill creates new grants and training programs to hire more midwives and birth workers from diverse backgrounds to help fix the maternal health crisis and ensure respectful care for all parents.AI-written
INTRODUCED MAR 25, 2026· LAST ACTION MAR 25, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
14 min
COSPONSORS
43
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
