,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ghc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #cj1         
#bjag,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself and ,ms4
 ,murkowski7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,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     
services4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,improving ,access  
to ,maternity ,care ,act4  #b4          
,maternity care health professional     
target areas ,section #ccb of the       
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following new subsection3
  7k7 7#a7 ,the ,secretary1 acting      
through the ,administrator of the       
,health ,resources and ,services        
,administration1 shall identify1 based  

on the data collected under paragraph   
7#c71 maternity care health professional
 target areas that satisfy the criteria 
described in paragraph 7#b7 for purposes
 of1 in connection with receipt of      
assistance under this title1 assigning  
to such identified areas maternity care 
health professionals who1 without       
application of this subsection1 would   
otherwise be eligible for such          
assistance4 ,the ,secretary shall       
distribute maternity care health        
professionals within health professional
 shortage areas using the maternity care
 health professional target areas so    
identified4  7#b7 ,for purposes of      
paragraph 7#a71 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       
professionals4  7#c7 ,for purposes of   
this subsection1 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 areas4     
7#d7 ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71   
the ,secretary shall seek input from    
relevant provider organizations1        
including medical societies1            
organizations representing medical      
facilities1 and other organizations with
 expertise in maternity care4  7#e7 ,for
 purposes of this subsection1 the term  
full scope maternity care health        
services includes during labor care1    
birthing1 prenatal care1 and postpartum 
care4  7#f7 ,nothing in this subsection 
shall be construed as--  7,a7 requiring 
the identification of a maternity care  
health professional target area in an   
area not otherwise already designated as
 a health professional shortage area2 or
  7,b7 affecting the types of health    
professionals1 without application of   
this subsection1 otherwise eligible for 

assistance1 including a loan repayment  
or scholarship1 pursuant to the         
application of this section4  4