Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) introduced the Perinatal Workforce Act, legislation to address the urgent maternal health care crisis in the United States. Specifically, the bill will help grow the perinatal workforce by creating grant programs to increase the number of maternity care providers and workers who provide care during and after pregnancy... The Perinatal Workforce Act will: Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to (1) provide guidance to states on the promotion of racially, ethnically, and professionally diverse maternity care teams and (2) to study how culturally congruent maternity care promotes better outcomes for moms, especially in communities of color. Provide funding to establish and scale programs that will grow and diversify the maternal health clinical and non-clinical workforce, increasing the number of nurses, midwives, physician assistants, doulas, and other perinatal health workers who moms can trust throughout their pregnancies, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. Study the barriers that prevent women – particularly from underserved communities – from entering maternity care professions and receiving equitable compensation.
Advance and support the Perinatal Workforce Act to address the maternal health care crisis by creating grant programs to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, promote culturally congruent care, and improve maternal health outcomes, especially for underserved communities.
Occurrences
The Perinatal Workforce Act aims to: 1) Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide guidance to states on promoting diverse maternity care teams and study the impact of culturally congruent care; 2) Provide funding to establish and scale programs to grow and diversify the maternal health workforce; 3) Study barriers preventing women, particularly from underserved communities, from entering maternity care professions and receiving equitable compensation.
To amend the Public Health Service Act to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, and for other purposes. ... S. 4186 (IS) - Perinatal Workforce Act ... Action Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Evidence
On March 25, 2026, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Jeff Merkley, along with Congresswoman Gwen Moore, introduced the Perinatal Workforce Act. This legislation aims to address the maternal health care crisis by creating grant programs to increase the number of maternity care providers and workers who provide care during and after pregnancy.
The Perinatal Workforce Act, designated as S. 4186, was introduced in the Senate on March 25, 2026, by Senator Baldwin and co-sponsored by Senators Merkley and Booker. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The Perinatal Workforce Act aims to: 1) Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide guidance to states on promoting diverse maternity care teams and study the impact of culturally congruent care; 2) Provide funding to establish and scale programs to grow and diversify the maternal health workforce; 3) Study barriers preventing women, particularly from underserved communities, from entering maternity care professions and receiving equitable compensation.
In February 2021, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Perinatal Workforce Act as part of the Black Maternal Health Caucus's legislative package, the 'Momnibus,' to address the Black maternal mortality crisis. The legislation aimed to provide funding to grow and diversify the maternal care workforce.
Assessments
Senator Baldwin made a serious legislative effort by introducing the Perinatal Workforce Act multiple times (2021, 2026) and advocating for grant programs to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce. However, the bill was referred to committee and did not pass into law or achieve enactment, so the outcome was not delivered. The effort is substantial, but the legislative goal remains unmet.