119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 8869
The Traumatic Births Research Act of 2026 authorizes the federal government to fund research examining how traumatic birth experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder affect mothers, infants, and families, with a particular focus on long-term maternal mental health outcomes and their relationship to severe maternal complications. The legislation specifically directs research findings to be broken down by race and ethnicity to identify disparities, and it expands eligibility for federal research grants to include states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations. The bill establishes a separate pilot program to study whether midwife-led care models reduce traumatic birth experiences and improve maternal mental health outcomes compared to traditional medical care models. The legislation authorizes one million dollars annually from 2027 through 2031 for the primary research initiatives, with additional unspecified funding for the midwife care pilot program through 2030. Congress will receive interim and final reports on both research efforts by the end of fiscal years 2028 and 2030, respectively.