Official Summaries

Mamas and Babies in Underserved Communities Act of 2025

This bill establishes Department of Health and Human Services grants for public or nonprofit private health care providers to expand and improve maternal health care services (including prenatal, postnatal, and postpartum care) and reduce disparities in access to such care. Health care providers are eligible to apply if they serve one or more minority, low-income, or medically underserved communities.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1966 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1966

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
 to award grants to expand and improve maternal health care services, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 6, 2025

  Ms. Waters (for herself, Ms. Underwood, Ms. Adams, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. 
 Brown, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Clarke of New York, 
 Mr. Cohen, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
 Doggett, Mr. Fields, Mr. Figures, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. 
  Hayes, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Lee of 
Pennsylvania, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Norton, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mrs. Ramirez, 
 Ms. Sewell, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, 
    Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Velazquez, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
 to award grants to expand and improve maternal health care services, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mamas and Babies in Underserved 
Communities Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN 
              UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

    Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 317K of such Act (247b-12) the 
following:

``SEC. 317K-1. GRANTS TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE 
              SERVICES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
entities--
            ``(1) to expand maternal health care services, including 
        prenatal care, postnatal care for infants, and postpartum care 
        for mothers;
            ``(2) to improve the quality of such services;
            ``(3) to improve health outcomes for women and infants 
        receiving such services; and
            ``(4) to reduce disparities in access to care, in the 
        quality of services received, and in health outcomes for women 
        and infants in need of such services.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term `eligible 
entity' means a public or nonprofit private health care provider that 
serves one or more minority, low-income, or medically underserved 
communities.
    ``(c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that, as determined 
by the Secretary--
            ``(1) primarily serve minority, low-income, or medically 
        underserved communities;
            ``(2) are led by individuals who have lived, were educated, 
        or currently reside in the communities served; and
            ``(3) are geographically located in the communities served.
    ``(d) Conditions for Receiving Grants.--As a condition on receipt 
of a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall agree--
            ``(1) to provide the health care services supported through 
        the grant in a culturally and linguistically appropriate 
        manner; and
            ``(2) to limit the percentage of grant funds used for 
        administrative expenses to not more than 10 percent.
    ``(e) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may 
require.
    ``(f) Coordination.--The Secretary shall require grantees under 
this section--
            ``(1) to maximize the coordination of activities funded 
        through this section with other federally funded maternal 
        health care activities; and
            ``(2) to minimize the duplication of such activities.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `medically underserved community' has the 
        meaning given to such term in section 799B.
            ``(2) The terms `postnatal' and `postpartum' refer to the 
        period of 12 months following an infant's birth.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.''.
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