[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2701 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2701
To provide grants for the conduct of demonstration projects designed to
provide education and training for eligible individuals to enter and
follow a career pathway in the field of pregnancy or childbirth, under
the health profession opportunity grant program under section 2008 of
the Social Security Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2021
Ms. Moore of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants for the conduct of demonstration projects designed to
provide education and training for eligible individuals to enter and
follow a career pathway in the field of pregnancy or childbirth, under
the health profession opportunity grant program under section 2008 of
the Social Security Act.
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 ``Opportunities to Support Mothers and
Deliver Children Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO PROVIDE CAREER PATHWAYS IN
THE FIELD OF PREGNANCY OR CHILDBIRTH.
Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397g) is
amended by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e) and inserting
after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Demonstration Projects To Provide Career Pathways in the
Field of Pregnancy or Childbirth.--
``(1) Grant authority.--The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall
award grants in accordance with this subsection to eligible
entities to conduct demonstration projects for the purpose of
providing education and training for eligible individuals to
enter and follow a career pathway in the field of pregnancy or
childbirth, in a State that recognizes doulas or midwives as
health care providers and that provides payment for services
provided by doulas or midwives, as the case may be, under the
State plan approved under title XIX.
``(2) Duration.--A demonstration project shall be conducted
under this subsection for not less than 3 years.
``(3) Application requirements.--An applicant seeking a
grant under this subsection for a demonstration project shall
submit to the Secretary an application for the grant, that
includes the following:
``(A) A description of the partnerships, strategic
staff hiring decisions, tailored program activities, or
other programmatic elements of the project that are
designed to support a strong career pathway in
pregnancy, birth, or post-partum services.
``(B) A demonstration that the State in which the
project is to be conducted recognizes and permits
doulas and midwives to practice in the State.
``(C) A demonstration that the applicant has
experience working with low-income populations, or a
description of the plan of the applicant to work with a
partner that has the experience.
``(4) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall, by grant,
contract, or interagency agreement, conduct rigorous and well-
designed evaluations of the demonstration projects for which a
grant is made under this section, which shall include
identification of successful activities for creating
opportunities for developing and sustaining, particularly with
respect to low-income individuals and other entry-level
workers, a doula-to-midwife workforce career pathway that has
accessible entry points, that meets high standards for
education, training, certification, and professional
development, and that provides increased wages and affordable
benefits, including health care coverage, that are responsive
to the needs of the workforce.
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
means any of the following entities that demonstrates
in an application submitted under this subsection that
the entity has the capacity to fully develop and
administer the demonstration project described in the
application:
``(i) A local workforce development board
established under section 107 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
``(ii) A State or territory, a political
subdivision of a State or territory, or an
agency of a State, territory, or such a
political subdivision.
``(iii) An Indian tribe, a tribal
organization, or a tribal college or
university.
``(iv) An institution of higher education
(as defined in the Higher Education Act of
1965).
``(v) A hospital (as defined in section
1861(e)).
``(vi) A skilled nursing facility (as
defined in section 1819(h)(1)(A)).
``(vii) A Federally qualified health center
(as defined in section 1861(aa)(4)).
``(viii) A nonprofit organization described
in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, a labor organization, or an
entity with shared labor-management oversight,
that has a demonstrated history of providing
health profession training to eligible
individuals.
``(ix) An entity recognized by a State,
Indian tribe, or tribal organization as
qualified to train doulas or midwives, if
midwives or doulas, as the case may be, are
permitted to practice medicine in the State
involved.
``(x) An opioid treatment program (as
defined in section 1861(iii)(2)).
``(B) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible
individual' means an individual whose income does not
exceed 138 percent of the Federal poverty level.
``(C) Midwife.--The term `midwife' means a
certified midwife, certified professional midwife,
licensed midwife, and tribally-recognized midwife.
``(D) Certified midwife.--The term `certified
midwife' means an individual who is certified by the
American Midwifery Certification Board to practice
midwifery.
``(E) Certified professional midwife.--The term
`certified professional midwife' means an individual
who--
``(i) is certified by the North American
Registry of Midwives to practice midwifery for
normal, low-risk pregnancies and childbirths;
and
``(ii) has completed--
``(I) a midwifery education program
accredited by the Midwifery Education
and Accreditation Council or any other
entity recognized by the Department of
Education; or
``(II) the requirements to obtain a
Midwifery Bridge Certificate from the
North American Registry of Midwives,
and maintains the certification by
completing any required continuing
education for the certification.
``(F) Licensed midwife.--The term `licensed
midwife' means, with respect to a State, an individual
who is licensed under State law to practice midwifery.
``(G) Tribally-recognized midwife.--The term
`tribally-recognized midwife' means an individual who
is recognized by an Indian tribe (as defined in section
4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act) to
practice midwifery for the tribe.
``(6) Appropriation.--Out of any funds in the Treasury of
the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1,
2021.
<all>