---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 294s"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "294s"
heading: "Rural maternal and obstetric care training demonstration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/294s"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter V — Health Professions Education"
  - "Part E — Health Professions and Public Health Workforce"
  - "Subpart 1 — health professions workforce information and analysis"
---

# §294s. Rural maternal and obstetric care training demonstration

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall award grants to accredited [schools](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, and nursing, and other appropriate health professional training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), to establish a training demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to support—
  - (1) training for physicians, medical residents, fellows, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, certified nurse midwives, relevant home visiting workforce professionals and paraprofessionals, or other professionals who meet relevant [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) training and licensing requirements, as applicable, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity by improving prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care in rural community-based settings; and
  - (2) developing recommendations for such training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).
- (b) **Application—** To be eligible to receive a grant under [subsection (a)](#a), an entity shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may require.
- (c) **Activities—**
  - (1) **Training for health care professionals—** A recipient of a grant under [subsection (a)](#a)—
    - (A) shall use the grant funds to plan, develop, and operate a training [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to provide prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care in rural areas; and
    - (B) may use the grant funds to provide additional support for the administration of the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) or to meet the costs of [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to establish, maintain, or improve faculty development, or departments, divisions, or other units necessary to implement such training.
  - (2) **Training program requirements—** The recipient of a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) shall ensure that training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) carried out under the grant are evidence-based and address improving prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care in rural areas, and such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) may include training on topics such as—
    - (A) maternal mental health, including perinatal depression and anxiety;
    - (B) substance use disorders;
    - (C) social determinants of health that affect individuals living in rural areas; and
    - (D) improving the provision of prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care for racial and ethnic minority populations, including with respect to perceptions and biases that may affect the approach to, and provision of, care.
- (d) **Evaluation and report—**
  - (1) **Evaluation—**
    - (A) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall evaluate the outcomes of the demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under this section.
    - (B) **Data submission—** Recipients of a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) performance metrics and other related data in order to evaluate the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for the report described in [paragraph (2)](#d-2).
  - (2) **Report to Congress—** Not later than January 1, 2026, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall submit to Congress a report that includes—
    - (A) an analysis of the effects of the demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under this section on the quality, quantity, and distribution of maternal health [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7), including prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7), and the demographics of the recipients of those [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a);
    - (B) an analysis of maternal and infant health outcomes (including quality of care, morbidity, and mortality) before and after implementation of the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) in the communities served by entities participating in the demonstration; and
    - (C) recommendations on whether the demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) should be continued.
- (e) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 764, as added Pub. L. 117–103, div. P, title I, § 144, Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 800.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Another section 764 of act July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 764A and is classified to section 294t of this title.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 294s, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 749, as added Oct. 12, 1976, Pub. L. 94–484, title IV, § 408(a), 90 Stat. 2280; amended Aug. 1, 1977, Pub. L. 95–83, title III, § 307(f), 91 Stat. 391, Pub. L. 96–88, title III, § 301(a)(1), title V, § 507, 93 Stat. 677, 692, which related to traineeships for students in other graduate programs, was renumbered section 791A of act July 1, 1944, by Pub. L. 97–35 and transferred to section 295h–1a of this title, and was subsequently omitted in the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 102–408.