What does Preamble of WELLS Act do?

This bill amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act Hospitals must develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals to participate in Medicare The bill was introduced to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance

What does SHORT TITLE. of WELLS Act do?

This bill is formally titled the Women Expansion of Learning and Labor Safety Act.

What does REQUIRING HOSPITALS PARTICIPATING IN MEDICARE TO DEVELOP of WELLS Act do?

This section amends the Social Security Act to require hospitals participating in Medicare to develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals. These requirements apply to hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals. The discharge plan must be developed and implemented for individuals experiencing signs of labor and expected to be discharged before delivery. The plan must include a clinical justification for discharge, assessment of travel distance, verification of transportation, and identification of a secondary facility for labor and delivery services. The plan must be documented in the individual's medical record and discussed with the individual or their representative. The discharge plan must be reviewed and approved by a qualified professional, and confirmation of understanding must be obtained from the individual or representative in their primary language. This subsection does not limit existing discharge planning requirements or obligations to provide emergency services.

What does RURAL MATERNAL AND OBSTETRIC CARE TRAINING DEMONSTRATION of WELLS Act do?

This section amends Section 764 of the Public Health Service Act. Beginning in fiscal year 2027, the Secretary will establish minimum performance milestones for grant recipients. These milestones must relate to the percentage of staff trained or receiving refresher training. The heading of subsection (e) is changed from 'Report' to 'Reports'. The Secretary must submit reports to Congress and make them publicly available, starting no later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. These reports will include updates to existing information and additional details about grants, such as a list of recipients, grant amounts, training formats, geographical coverage, providers trained, and patient-level metrics.

What does MULTI-CENTER IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE INITIATIVE FOR MATERNAL of WELLS Act do?

This section establishes a multi-center implementation science initiative for maternal health. The initiative will evaluate different training models for health care professionals. An interagency maternal health dashboard will be developed and made publicly available.

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WELLS Act

Last updated: 5/11/2026 · Introduced: 5/11/2026

Author: Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)

TL;DR (AI)

The bill mandates that hospitals participating in Medicare develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals experiencing signs of labor, including clinical justifications, transportation verification, and identification of secondary facilities.
It establishes a Rural Maternal and Obstetric Care Training Demonstration program, requiring grant recipients to meet performance milestones related to staff training and mandating annual public reports to Congress.
The bill creates a multi-center implementation science initiative to evaluate training models for maternal health professionals and develop a publicly available interagency maternal health dashboard.

119th Congressin committeeHR. 7830(In Committee)Official page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 3 more.

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