[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 315 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.315

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen


                                 An Act


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to distribute maternity care 
health professionals to health professional shortage areas identified as 
               in need of maternity care health services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Access to Maternity Care 
Act''.
SEC. 2. MATERNITY CARE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TARGET AREAS.
    Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(k)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the 
Health Resources and Services Administration, shall identify, based on 
the data collected under paragraph (3), maternity care health 
professional target areas that satisfy the criteria described in 
paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance 
under this title, assigning to such identified areas maternity care 
health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would 
otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall 
distribute maternity care health professionals within health 
professional shortage areas using the maternity care health 
professional target areas so identified.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish 
criteria for maternity care health professional target areas that 
identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas 
that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals.
    ``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect 
and publish in the Federal Register data comparing the availability and 
need of maternity care health services in health professional shortage 
areas and in areas within such health professional shortage areas.
    ``(4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek input 
from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, 
organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations 
with expertise in maternity care.
    ``(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term `full scope 
maternity care health services' includes during labor care, birthing, 
prenatal care, and postpartum care.
    ``(6) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as--
        ``(A) requiring the identification of a maternity care health 
    professional target area in an area not otherwise already 
    designated as a health professional shortage area; or
        ``(B) affecting the types of health professionals, without 
    application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for assistance, 
    including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant to the 
    application of this section.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.