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SB 2358

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND MATERNAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND EQUITY ACT OF 2026

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lou DiPalma and 2 co-sponsors

Rhode Island establishes a state framework to improve maternal health equity through data modernization, workforce development, and community grants, sustained beyond federal fundi

05/28/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2358

Summary of SB 2358 (Rhode Island) – The Rhode Island Maternal Health Improvement and Equity Act of 2026

Purpose and intent

  • Establish a permanent, state-level framework to improve maternal health outcomes and address disparities in Rhode Island.
  • Build on the federal five-year Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) grant from HRSA by creating ongoing state structures, data systems, and workforce and community supports that extend beyond the grant period.
  • Align maternal health efforts with social, environmental, and structural determinants of health to improve family well-being and long-term community resilience.

Key provisions and changes

  • New Chapter and formal title

    • Creates Chapter 23-13.9, the Rhode Island Maternal Health Improvement and Equity Act of 2026.
    • Defines terms related to the program, including “maternal health workforce,” “MHI,” and “strategic plan.”

  • Advisory board

    • Establishes a seven-member Rhode Island Maternal Health Advisory Board (appointed by the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker).
    • Roles include overseeing implementation of the statewide maternal health strategic plan, recommending access and outcome improvements, reviewing data disparities, advising on data surveillance, workforce development, and competitive grants, and annual reporting to key state officials starting July 1, 2027.
    • Board to operate without compensation; meets quarterly; chair elected by the Governor, with an annual chair, vice-chair, and secretary.

  • Maternal health data modernization

    • DOH to create a maternal health data and surveillance unit to monitor morbidity and mortality across prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum periods.
    • Includes integration of social and environmental determinants (e.g., housing, transportation, climate stressors).
    • Requires annual outcomes reports beginning July 1, 2027, to key state leaders.
    • Authority to contract with academic, clinical, or community partners and to collect data from providers and birth workers.

  • Workforce development program

    • DOH to establish a maternal health workforce development program to expand training for midwives, doulas, and community birth workers.
    • Emphasis on bilingual and culturally concordant pipelines; scholarships, stipends, or loan repayment for trainees serving in maternal health shortage areas.
    • Partnerships with Rhode Island higher education and community organizations.
    • Prioritized expansion areas: Aquidneck Island/Newport County, urban core communities, and medically underserved coastal areas.
    • DOH to promulgate implementing rules.

  • Community-based maternal health access grants

    • DOH to award competitive grants to expand local supports, including prenatal navigation, doula/community birth worker programs, transportation to appointments, postpartum mental health, breastfeeding support, and home-visiting services.
    • Eligible recipients: community-based nonprofits, health centers, tribal nations, hospitals, and municipalities.

  • Budget and sustainability

    • A dedicated annual appropriation starting FY 2026-2027: $2,700,000.
    • $750,000 for the data and surveillance unit
    • $1,200,000 for the workforce development program
    • $600,000 for community health access grants
    • $150,000 for advisory council operations and reporting
    • Funds are intended to supplement federal MHI funds, not replace them.
    • Beginning FY 2029, the DOH must include a maternal health sustainability plan in its budget request.

  • Regulations and implementation

    • DOH to adopt regulations necessary to implement the act.

Who is affected

  • Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and its administration of the MHI-related activities.
  • Rhode Island maternal health workforce (midwives, doulas, community birth workers, lactation consultants, and culturally concordant birth workers).
  • Maternal health providers, hospitals, community organizations, tribal nations, and municipalities participating in data collection and grant programs.
  • State policymakers and the governor, who receive annual reports and oversee advisory board activities.

Timeline and procedures

  • Act takes effect upon passage.
  • Annual advisory board reporting begins July 1, 2027, with subsequent yearly reports.
  • Annual maternal health outcomes reports to the governor and legislative leaders commence July 1, 2027.
  • FY 2026-2027 appropriations begin, with ongoing annual funding through FY 2026 onward, and a future sustainability plan requirement starting FY 2029.

Summary assessment

SB 2358 codifies a comprehensive, state-based framework to sustain and expand maternal health improvements in Rhode Island. It integrates data modernization, workforce development, and community-based supports, funded to complement federal MHI resources. The act emphasizes equity by focusing on disparities, culturally concordant care, and access in underserved areas, with formal governance, reporting, and regulatory pathways to ensure ongoing implementation beyond the federal grant period.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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