Momnibus Act

(a) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on barriers to maternal health education and access to care in the United States. Such report shall include the information and recommendations described in subsection (b).

(b) Content of report. The report under subsection (a) shall include—

(1) an assessment of current barriers to entering and successfully completing accredited midwifery education programs, and recommendations for addressing such barriers, particularly for low-income women and women from racial and ethnic minority groups;

(2) an assessment of current barriers to entering and successfully completing accredited education programs for other health professional careers related to maternity care, including maternity care providers, mental and behavioral health care providers acting in accordance with State law, and registered dietitians or nutrition professionals (as such term is defined in section 1861(vv)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(vv)(2))), particularly for low-income women and women from racial and ethnic minority groups;

(3) an assessment of current barriers that prevent midwives from meeting the international definition of a midwife and global standards for midwifery education as established by the International Confederation of Midwives, and recommendations for addressing such barriers, particularly for low-income women and women from racial and ethnic minority groups;

(4) an assessment of disparities in access to maternity care providers, mental or behavioral health care providers acting in accordance with State law, and registered dietitians or nutrition professionals (as such term is defined in section 1861(vv)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(vv)(2))), and perinatal health workers, stratified by race, ethnicity, gender identity, primary language, geographic location, and insurance type and recommendations to promote greater access equity; and

(5) recommendations to promote greater equity in compensation for perinatal health workers under public and private insurers, particularly for such individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.