Union Calendar No. 638

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6238

[Report No. 119–734]


To establish the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 20, 2025

Ms. Underwood (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

July 9, 2026

Additional sponsors: Ms. Norton, Mrs. McClain Delaney, and Mr. Vindman

July 9, 2026

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 20, 2025]

A BILL

To establish the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health.

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 “NIH Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Act” or the “NIH IMPROVE Act”.

SEC. 2. IMPROVE Initiative.

Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“SEC. 409K. IMPROVE initiative.

“(a) In general.—The Director of NIH shall continue to carry out a program to improve maternal health outcomes, to be known as the Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Initiative or the ‘IMPROVE Initiative’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Initiative’).

“(b) Objectives.—The Initiative shall—

“(1) advance research to—

“(A) reduce preventable causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity;

“(B) reduce health disparities related to maternal health outcomes, including such disparities associated with populations with disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity relative to the national rate; and

“(C) improve health for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after pregnancy;

“(2) use an integrated approach to understand the factors, including biological, behavioral, and other factors, that affect maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity by building an evidence base for improved outcomes in specific regions of the United States; and

“(3) target health disparities associated with maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity by—

“(A) implementing and evaluating community-based interventions for disproportionately affected women; and

“(B) identifying risk factors and the underlying biological mechanisms associated with leading causes of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States.

“(c) Implementation.—The Director of NIH may award grants or enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions to carry out this section.

“(d) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $63,400,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.”.

Union Calendar No. 638
119th CONGRESS
     2d Session
H. R. 6238
[Report No. 119–734]
A BILL
To establish the IMPROVE Initiative within the National Institutes of Health.
July 9, 2026
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed