Bill · S. 4482· Senate(119-S-4482)
WELLS Act
- Introduced
- 5/11/2026
- Last activity
- 5/11/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Lisa Blunt Rochester
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The bill is known as the Women Expansion of Learning and Labor Safety Act or the WELLS Act. It requires hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals participating in Medicare to develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals who are expected to be discharged before delivery. These discharge plans must meet specific standards, including clinical justification, travel distance assessments, reliable transportation verification, and identification of a secondary facility. The bill also establishes minimum performance milestones for rural maternal and obstetric care training demonstration grants. Additionally, the legislation requires annual reports to Congress regarding these grants. Finally, the bill establishes a multi-center implementation science initiative for maternal health and an interagency maternal health dashboard.
Yes· 3 of 22
Would women be better off under this?+8
The legislation directly safeguards pregnant individuals, ensures clinical justifications for discharge, and improves maternal health training.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+7
The bill specifically targets critical access and rural emergency hospitals, improving rural obstetric care and travel assessments.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+7
The bill enhances maternal healthcare access and safety by requiring structured discharge plans and improving obstetric care training grants.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-2
Hospitals and healthcare facilities face new compliance burdens and administrative requirements.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Discharge Planning Protections: Under Section 2 (amending 42 U.S.C. 1395cc), hospitals must develop discharge plans for pregnant individuals experiencing signs or symptoms of labor who are expected to be discharged prior to delivery. This is positive because it ensures patients receive a clinical justification, travel distance assessments, verified reliable transportation, and the identification of a secondary facility for labor and delivery services.
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Language Accessibility and Understanding: Under Section 2 (specifically paragraph (2)(F) of the new subsection), hospitals must provide discharge plan information in the primary language of the individual or their representative and confirm their understanding. This is a positive benefit for individuals who may face language barriers during medical care.
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Public Transparency and Reporting: Under Section 3 and Section 4, the government is required to submit annual reports to Congress, make grant information publicly available, and develop a public interagency maternal health dashboard. This provides positive accountability and visibility regarding maternal health metrics, training formats, and grant recipients.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Burdens on Discharged Pregnant Patients: Under Section 2 (amending 42 U.S.C. 1395cc), hospitals are permitted to discharge pregnant individuals who are experiencing signs or symptoms of labor prior to delivery, provided a discharge plan is created. This could place a burden or negative consequence on pregnant individuals who are sent home while experiencing labor symptoms.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Women+8Good For Rural Residents+7Good For African Americans+5Good For Hispanic Americans+5Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Immigrants+4Good For Middle Aged+4Good For Middle Class Households+4Good For Native Americans+4Good For Asian Americans+3Good For Urban Residents+2Good For White Americans+2Good For Business Owners-2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+7Increases Research Funding+5Increases Medicare Funding+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Gender Equality+6Improves Racial Equity+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6Increases Federal Power+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+6
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+5
- 5/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.