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H. B. No. 1623 *HR43/R1957.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Universities and
Colleges; Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Summers
HOUSE BILL NO. 1623
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI HBCU MATERNAL HEALTH 1
WORKFORCE PIPELINE ACT; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO PROVIDE FOR 2
THE MISSISSIPPI HBCUS MATERNAL HEALTH WORKFORCE PIPELINE PROGRAM; 3
TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE 4
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO 5
ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM AND SERVE AS CO-CHAIRS FOR THE PROGRAM; TO 6
CREATE A MATERNAL HEALTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT PARTICIPATING 7
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS); TO CREATE 8
THE MATERNAL HEALTH PIPELINE FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY FOR 9
APPROPRIATIONS MADE BY THE LEGISLATURE TO FUND THE PROGRAM; AND 10
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Mississippi HBCU 13
Maternal Health Workforce Pipeline Act." 14
SECTION 2. The Legislature finds the following: 15
(a) Mississippi faces persistent maternal and infant 16
health disparities, particularly in rural and historically 17
underserved communities; 18
(b) Workforce shortages in obstetrics, nursing, 19
behavioral health, nutrition, and community-based maternal support 20
roles undermine access to timely, culturally responsive care; 21
(c) Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, 22
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and Mississippi Valley State University are critical workforce 23
anchors with longstanding missions of access, equity, and 24
community service; 25
(d) Paid training, academic supports, and 26
service-linked scholarships are proven strategies for building 27
durable healthcare workforces; and 28
(e) Coordinated leadership between the Mississippi 29
State Department of Health and the Institutions of Higher Learning 30
is necessary to align education, public health, and care delivery 31
systems. 32
SECTION 3. As used in this act, the following terms shall 33
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates 34
otherwise: 35
(a) "Department" means the Mississippi State Department 36
of Health (MSDH). 37
(b) "IHL" means the Board of Trustees of State 38
Institutions of Higher Learning. 39
(c) "Participating HBCUs" means Jackson State 40
University, Alcorn State University, and Mississippi Valley State 41
University. 42
(d) "Division" means the Division of Medicaid. 43
(e) "Maternal care setting" means a hospital, birthing 44
center, federally qualified health center, rural health clinic, 45
local health department, community-based maternal health 46
organization, home visiting program, or other approved site. 47
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(f) "Pipeline participant" means a student or trainee 48
enrolled in a pathway under this act. 49
(g) "Service commitment area" means a county or region 50
designated by MSDH as experiencing a maternal health workforce 51
shortage. 52
(h) "Program" means the Mississippi HBCU Maternal 53
Health Workforce Pipeline Program. 54
(i) "HBCUs" means historically black colleges and 55
universities. 56
SECTION 4. There is hereby created the Mississippi HBCU 57
Maternal Health Workforce Pipeline Program, which is a five-year 58
demonstration and implementation initiative jointly administered 59
by MSDH and IHL. 60
SECTION 5. (1) MSDH and IHL shall jointly administer the 61
program. 62
(2) MSDH shall serve as the public health and clinical 63
integration authority, responsible for the following: 64
(a) Identifying maternal health workforce priorities; 65
(b) Coordinating clinical placements; 66
(c) Aligning program goals with maternal mortality 67
reduction strategies; and 68
(d) Evaluating health impact. 69
(3) IHL shall serve as the academic and credentialing 70
authority, responsible for: 71
(a) Pathway design and degree alignment; 72
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(b) Articulation agreements; 73
(c) Student academic supports; and 74
(d) Faculty coordination. 75
(4) MSDH and IHL shall execute a memorandum of understanding 76
within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this act. 77
SECTION 6. The program shall establish stackable pathways 78
into maternal health occupations, including but not limited to, 79
the following: 80
(a) Community-based maternal support such as: 81
(i) Doulas; 82
(ii) Lactation counselors; 83
(iii) Community health workers; and 84
(iv) Home visiting specialists. 85
(b) Clinical maternal care provided by the following: 86
(i) Certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed 87
practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs) and nurses who 88
have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSNs); 89
(ii) Women's health nurse practitioners; 90
(iii) Nurse midwives; and 91
(iv) Obstetrics social workers and counselors. 92
(c) Nutrition and chronic disease in pregnancy: 93
(i) Dietetic technicians and registered 94
dietitians; and 95
(ii) Gestational diabetes educators. 96
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(d) Maternal mental health provided by licensed 97
professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers and 98
psychology trainees with perinatal specialization. 99
SECTION 7. (1) The MSDH shall contract with maternal care 100
settings to provide paid placements, apprenticeships, and 101
residencies for pipeline participants. 102
(2) Placements shall include structured training in: 103
(a) Respectful maternity care; 104
(b) Care coordination; 105
(c) Maternal mental health screening; 106
(d) Nutrition counseling integration; and 107
(e) Referral protocols. 108
SECTION 8. (1) There is created a Maternal Health Scholars 109
Program at each participating HBCU. 110
(2) Scholars may receive the following: 111
(a) Tuition and fee assistance; 112
(b) Stipends; 113
(c) Books, uniforms, testing, and licensure fees; 114
(d) Housing and transportation support for rural 115
placements. 116
(3) Priority shall be given to students committing to serve 117
in a service commitment area. 118
SECTION 9. (1) Scholarship recipients shall agree to serve 119
in a Mississippi maternal care setting for not less than two (2) 120
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years for each year of support received, not to exceed four (4) 121
years. 122
(2) MSDH may grant hardship waivers. 123
SECTION 10. (1) The Division of Medicaid shall collaborate 124
with MSDH to: 125
(a) Align reimbursement policies to support team-based 126
maternal care; 127
(b) Permit use of pipeline trainees under appropriate 128
supervision where allowable; and 129
(c) Integrate community-based maternal support roles. 130
(2) The Mississippi Department of Employment Security may 131
align workforce dollars where permitted. 132
SECTION 11. (1) There is created the HBCU Maternal Health 133
Pipeline Council that shall be co-chaired by the State Health 134
Officer and the Commissioner of Higher Education. 135
(2) Membership shall include representatives from each 136
participating HBCU, Medicaid, rural hospitals, FQHCs, and 137
community-based maternal organizations. 138
SECTION 12. (1) MSDH shall track the following: 139
(a) Enrollment and completion; 140
(b) Credential attainment; 141
(c) Job placement; 142
(d) Retention at 12 and 24 months; 143
(e) Geographic distribution; and 144
(m) Maternal health access indicators. 145
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(2) An annual report shall be submitted to the Legislature 146
by December 1. 147
SECTION 13. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a 148
special fund to be known as the Maternal Health Pipeline Fund. 149
The fund shall consist of legislative appropriations, federal 150
funds, contributions, donations, gifts and monies from any other 151
source that are made available for deposit into the fund. 152
(2) Monies in the fund shall be administered by the 153
Mississippi Department of Mental Health and the Board of Trustees 154
of State Institutions of Higher Learning, upon appropriation by 155
the Legislature, to award scholarships under the Maternal Heath 156
Scholars Program at participating Historically Black Colleges and 157
Universities. 158
(3) Monies remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year 159
shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest 160
earned on the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund. 161
SECTION 14. For fiscal years 2027 through 2031, the sum 162
of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) annually is hereby 163
authorized, subject to appropriation, for a total of Fifty Million 164
Dollars ($50,000,000) over five years. Annual allocations shall 165
be utilized for scholarships and stipends, paid clinical 166
placements, faculty and pathway coordinators, rural housing and 167
travel support, simulation labs and equipment, data and evaluation 168
and program administration. 169
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ST: Mississippi HBCU Maternal Health Workforce
Pipeline Act; create.
SECTION 15. The program shall be implemented in the 170
following years of sequence: 171
(a) During year one the program design and Memorandum 172
of Understandings and first 150 students within the program shall 173
be implemented; 174
(b) During year two expansion of the program to 300 175
students, which include rural placements; 176
(c) During year three implementation of full statewide 177
coverage and Medicaid alignment; 178
(d) During year four implementation of scaling and 179
refinement of pathways; and 180
(e) During year five examination of outcome evaluation 181
and permanency recommendations. 182
SECTION 16. If any provision of this act is held invalid, 183
such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions. 184
SECTION 17. This act shall take effect and be in force from 185
and after July 1, 2026. 186