Emergency obstetric workforce support

(a) In general Section 203A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 204a) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting and urgent maternal health care needs after public health care needs; (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting or urgent maternal health care need after public health care need; (C) in paragraph (5)— (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking or at the end; (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting; or; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (E) any urgent need, not rising to the level of an emergency described in subparagraph (D), that, in the judgment of the Secretary, if not addressed, could result in an emergency that would be appropriate for the deployment of the Commissioned Corps.; and (D) by adding at the end the following: (6) Urgent maternal health care need (A) In general For purposes of this section and section 214, the term urgent maternal health care need, with respect to an area, means a maternal health care need, as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, arising as a result of the closure or imminent closure of a hospital or other health care facility in such area, or the loss of workers employed by such hospital or health care facility who are trained to provide maternal health care services. (B) Considerations In determining whether there is an urgent maternal health care need for purposes of subparagraph (A) with respect to an area, the Secretary shall consider whether such closure, imminent closure, or loss of workers has impacted access by individuals in such area to a full range of maternal health care services, including prenatal services, labor and delivery services, postnatal services, maternal and postpartum mental health services, behavioral health services, and reproductive health services.; (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting or urgent maternal health care needs after public health care needs; and (B) in each of paragraphs (2) and (4)(B), by inserting or urgent maternal health care need after public health care need; and (3) in subsection (c), by inserting or urgent maternal health care need after public health care need. (b) Detail of personnel Section 214 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 215) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: (e) (1) Upon the request of an eligible entity with respect to a hospital or other health care facility the closure, imminent closure, or loss of workers of which led to an urgent maternal health care need in an area, personnel may be detailed by the Secretary for the purpose of assisting such eligible entity in work related to such urgent maternal health care need. (2) (A) Personnel detailed under paragraph (1) shall be paid from applicable appropriations of the Service. (B) In the case of detail of personnel under paragraph (1) to be paid from applicable Service appropriations, the Secretary may condition such detail on an agreement by the eligible entity concerned that such eligible entity concerned shall reimburse the United States for a portion of the amount of such payments made by the Service. (C) The services of personnel while detailed pursuant to this subsection shall be considered as having been performed in the Service for purposes of the computation of basic pay, promotion, retirement, compensation for injury or death, and the benefits provided by section 212. (3) The Secretary may condition a detail of personnel under paragraph (1) on an agreement by the eligible entity concerned that such eligible entity concerned shall— (A) in the case of an imminent closure or a loss of workers, as determined by the Secretary— (i) maintain the maternal health care services in the applicable area to the maximum extent practicable, including by hiring temporary workers, until the date on which the personnel are detailed to such area; and (ii) submit to the Secretary a plan for hiring and retaining health practitioners in the short- and long-term, both during periods in which personnel are detailed to such applicable area and periods in which personnel are not detailed to such applicable area; (B) in the case of a closure, submit to the Secretary a plan for working with, as applicable, State and local agencies and local stakeholders to transition patients to alternate sources of safe maternal health care services; and (C) commit to an assessment by the Secretary of the workplace practices of such eligible entity concerned, if applicable. (4) In this subsection— (A) the term eligible entity means— (i) a State; (ii) a political subdivision of a State; or (iii) a Tribal, nonprofit, or other health care entity; and (B) the term personnel means an employee or officer of the Commissioned Corps.; and (3) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), by inserting or an urgent maternal health care need before the period at the end. (c) Funding for commissioned corps of the public health service Section 203 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 204) is amended by adding at the end the following: (e) Operations of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (1) In general The Secretary shall carry out duties and responsibilities relating to the operations of the Commissioned Corps of the Service, including the following: (A) Enhance the processes and systems of the Service’s Headquarters operations. (B) Maximize the force management, required training opportunities (as determined by the Secretary under section 203A(a)(1)), operational capacity, and mission readiness of the Regular Corps, the Ready Reserve Corps, and the Public Health Emergency Response Strike Teams, a subcomponent of the Regular Corps. (C) Recruit and retain qualified professionals suited to serving underserved and vulnerable communities by— (i) improving onboarding timelines, providing officer placements to align with mission needs, ensuring adequate officer morale and wellness resources, and incentivizing recruiters and recruits; and (ii) expanding training opportunities, including training of personnel to deliver maternal health care services, providing credentialing support for high demand skill sets, and enriching leadership and research potential. (D) Improve deployment processes and prepare mission teams to execute routine and emergent public health events. (E) Establish a legislative liaison office to carry out legislative affairs functions under the direction of the Secretary. (2) Authorization of appropriations In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the Commissioned Corps of the Service, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out paragraph (1) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter..