Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act

Summary

Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act This bill creates and expands federal grant programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to increase capacity to provide emergency obstetric health services in rural areas or areas without practitioners or facilities specializing in obstetric services.  Specifically, HRSA must establish a program for providing grants to certain hospitals or consortiums that include hospitals in rural areas or areas with maternal health care professional shortages for training, developing a workforce, and purchasing equipment relating to obstetric emergencies. In addition, the bill requires HRSA’s Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Capacity program to provide grants for training on emergency obstetric services for practitioners in rural health care facilities without dedicated obstetric units. HRSA must also establish a pilot program to provide grants to government entities for developing or improving telehealth access programs to support urgent maternal health care in rural facilities without a dedicated obstetric unit. 

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Timeline

1. 4 February 2025

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 4 February 2025

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 19 March 2026

   Committee

   Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.

   Source: Committee

4. 22 July 2026

   Reported

   Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

   Source: Committee

5. 28 July 2026

   Calendars

   Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 525.

   Source: Calendars

6. 28 July 2026

   Reported

   Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

   Source: Committee

7. 28 July 2026

   Reported

   Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

3 official files

• Reported to Senate

  Reported to Senate · EN · 28 July 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 4 February 2025

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 4 February 2025

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] · R · Cosponsor
• · sshr00 · Standing

Related records

• related to ← Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act