42 U.S.C. § 254c–1b — Rural obstetric network grants

(a) Program established. The Secretary must award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to build "rural obstetric networks" — collaborative networks that work to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and cut preventable maternal deaths and severe complications. These networks focus on improving maternity care and access to it in rural areas, frontier areas, maternity care health professional target areas, and areas run by Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. (b) Use of funds. Grant money must go toward starting or continuing these collaborative networks to improve prenatal, labor, birthing, and postpartum care in rural areas. The networks may: (1) build a network that improves coordination and access to maternal health care, and helps pregnant women in the areas above use prenatal, labor, birthing, and postpartum services; (2) find and use proven, lasting care models — including home visits and culturally appropriate care — that reduce health disparities; (3) build a model for maternal health collaboration between different health care settings, which may include telehealth; (4) train professionals working in places that lack specialty maternity care; (5) work with academic institutions that bring regional expertise and help identify and address barriers to maternal health care; and (6) study and address disparities in infant and maternal health outcomes, including among racial and ethnic minority and underserved populations. (c) Definitions. (1) Eligible entities. Organizations that give prenatal, labor, birthing, and postpartum care in rural areas, frontier areas, or medically underserved areas or to medically underserved populations, Indian Tribes, or Tribal organizations. (2) Frontier area. Has the meaning given in section 1395ww(d)(3)(E)(iii)(III) of this title. (3) Indian Tribes; Tribal organization. Have the meanings given in section 5304 of title 25. (4) Maternity care health professional target area. Has the meaning described in section 254e(k)(2) of this title. (d) Report to Congress. By September 30, 2026, the Secretary must send Congress a report describing (1) the activities carried out under subsection (b)'s six categories, and (2) an analysis of how well rural obstetric networks improved maternal and infant health outcomes. (e) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $3,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2023 through 2027.