Luján, Murkowski Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Maternal and Infant Mortality Crisis

Bipartisan Senators Lead Effort to Combat Infant and Maternal Mortality Across the United States

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reintroduced the Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services (MOMS) Act, bipartisan legislation that addresses the maternal and infant mortality crisis by increasing the number of trained midwives in the United States. The bipartisan legislation would increase funding for midwifery education and increase diversity in the maternity care workforce by recruiting students from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maternal and infant mortality is higher for Black, Native American, and Hispanic communities than their white counterparts. Integrations of midwifery into maternal health care has been linked to healthy births for moms and babies.

“For decades, midwives have long been an essential part of New Mexico’s health care system – safely delivering children, caring for families, and improving maternal health outcomes,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to once again partner with Senator Murkowski to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that delivers critical funding for midwifery education to boost the maternity care workforce and increase diversity. As the maternal and infant mortality crisis continue to impact communities across our country, this legislation is an important step to address this disparity and keep families healthy.”

“Access to quality maternal care is critical to the health and well-being of mothers and their babies. In Alaska, workforce shortages and geography present significant challenges to expecting mothers living in rural communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m proud to again join the reintroduction of the Midwives for MOMS Act, which would address gaps in maternal health care by expanding opportunities for midwifery training and education. This legislation provides support for this essential workforce in Alaska and across the country to improve maternal health and perinatal care.”

Specifically, the Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services (MOMS) Act would:

• Authorize $15 million in grants to educate midwives who are trained in accredited midwifery programs that do not sit in schools or nursing and are eligible to sit for national certification exams;
• Authorize $20 million in grants to educate nurse midwives who graduate from accredited nurse-midwifery programs and are eligible to sit for a national certification exam; and
• Prioritize midwifery programs that demonstrate a focus on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery education to address the significant lack of diversity in the maternity care workforce.

The bill is supported by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), and the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC).   

In addition to Senators Luján and Murkowski, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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