Grant funding for equipment and supplies

Part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 330A–2 the following: 330A–3. Program of support for obstetric services (a) In general The Secretary shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to integrate obstetric readiness training curriculum into rural health care settings, build workforce capacity, and purchase equipment necessary to manage obstetric emergencies. (b) Use of funds A recipient of funds under this section shall use such funds for the purpose described in subsection (a), which may include any of the following: (1) Purchasing or providing equipment and technical assistance to train practitioners who are not specialized in obstetrics in preparing for, identifying, stabilizing, and transferring, as appropriate and within the scope of practice of the practitioner, individuals experiencing obstetric emergencies. (2) Purchasing or providing equipment necessary to prepare for, identify, stabilize, or transfer, as appropriate, individuals experiencing obstetric emergencies. (3) Developing and carrying out protocols for transfer of patients to other facilities and network engagement with other facilities. (4) Hiring additional personnel or paying the salaries of personnel. (5) Establishing training opportunities to enable non-obstetric health professionals to gain exposure to, and expertise in, the delivery of obstetric services, including through clinical rotations, fellowships, or cross-training clinicians in other specialties. (6) Enabling clinical educators to coordinate, develop, and implement comprehensive interdisciplinary trainings, including team-based simulation training for providers who may need to respond to an obstetric emergency. (c) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall— (1) be— (A) a rural hospital, critical access hospital (as determined under section 1820(c)(2) of the Social Security Act), or a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of the Social Security Act) that is located in a maternity care health professional target area or a rural area (as defined by the Secretary); or (B) a consortium of 3 entities that includes at least 2 entities described in subparagraph (A); and (2) agree to carry out the program described in subsection (a), in coordination with other federally funded maternal and child health programs, to the extent practicable, and in consultation with other maternal and child health programs in the same geographic area. (d) Definitions In this section— (1) the term maternity care health professional target area means a primary care health professional shortage area that is experiencing a shortage of maternity health care professionals, as identified under section 332(k); and (2) the term rural area has the meaning given such term by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. (e) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2029..

Part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 330A–2 the following: 330A–3. Program of support for obstetric services (a) In general The Secretary shall award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to integrate obstetric readiness training curriculum into rural health care settings, build workforce capacity, and purchase equipment necessary to manage obstetric emergencies. (b) Use of funds A recipient of funds under this section shall use such funds for the purpose described in subsection (a), which may include any of the following: (1) Purchasing or providing equipment and technical assistance to train practitioners who are not specialized in obstetrics in preparing for, identifying, stabilizing, and transferring, as appropriate and within the scope of practice of the practitioner, individuals experiencing obstetric emergencies. (2) Purchasing or providing equipment necessary to prepare for, identify, stabilize, or transfer, as appropriate, individuals experiencing obstetric emergencies. (3) Developing and carrying out protocols for transfer of patients to other facilities and network engagement with other facilities. (4) Hiring additional personnel or paying the salaries of personnel. (5) Establishing training opportunities to enable non-obstetric health professionals to gain exposure to, and expertise in, the delivery of obstetric services, including through clinical rotations, fellowships, or cross-training clinicians in other specialties. (6) Enabling clinical educators to coordinate, develop, and implement comprehensive interdisciplinary trainings, including team-based simulation training for providers who may need to respond to an obstetric emergency. (c) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall— (1) be— (A) a rural hospital, critical access hospital (as determined under section 1820(c)(2) of the Social Security Act), or a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of the Social Security Act) that is located in a maternity care health professional target area or a rural area (as defined by the Secretary); or (B) a consortium of 3 entities that includes at least 2 entities described in subparagraph (A); and (2) agree to carry out the program described in subsection (a), in coordination with other federally funded maternal and child health programs, to the extent practicable, and in consultation with other maternal and child health programs in the same geographic area. (d) Definitions In this section— (1) the term maternity care health professional target area means a primary care health professional shortage area that is experiencing a shortage of maternity health care professionals, as identified under section 332(k); and (2) the term rural area has the meaning given such term by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. (e) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2029..