Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1909
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-06: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-13T08:06:45Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to strengthen efforts to reduce maternal deaths in the United States by updating and extending federal support for state-based review committees that investigate pregnancy-related deaths. It also requires the sharing of proven strategies to prevent these deaths with key healthcare organizations, building on existing federal programs focused on maternal health.
Key Provisions
- Support for Maternal Mortality Review Committees: Amends Section 317K of the Public Health Service Act to refine how states form and operate committees that review pregnancy-related deaths.
- Requires inclusion of specialists like obstetricians (doctors specializing in pregnancy and childbirth) and gynecologists (doctors specializing in women's reproductive health) in committee membership.
- Improves data collection by mandating coordination with officials who certify deaths (e.g., coroners or medical examiners) to enhance the accuracy of death records, including updates to cause-of-death information on death certificates when needed.
- Dissemination of Best Practices: Adds a new requirement for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and in consultation with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to share evidence-based strategies for preventing maternal deaths and complications.
- Targets hospitals, state-based professional groups (e.g., medical associations), and perinatal quality collaboratives (networks improving care for mothers and babies).
- Draws from successful approaches in other federal maternal health initiatives.
- Requires this sharing to occur at least once every fiscal year (the government's annual budget period, running from October 1 to September 30).
- Funding Authorization: Extends and increases federal funding for these activities from $58 million annually for fiscal years 2019–2023 to $100 million annually for fiscal years 2025–2029.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands committee expertise by explicitly including obstetricians and gynecologists, ensuring more targeted medical input.
- Shifts data requirements from optional ("as applicable") to more reliable ("if available") sources, and adds proactive steps for improving death record accuracy, which could lead to better identification of preventable causes.
- Introduces a mandatory annual dissemination of best practices, which was not previously required, promoting wider adoption of effective prevention methods.
- More than doubles the annual funding level and extends it for five additional years, providing sustained resources beyond the prior authorization's expiration.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases responsibilities and funding for HHS, CDC, and HRSA to support states, analyze data, and distribute resources, potentially improving coordination in public health efforts.
- On Citizens: Could reduce maternal mortality rates (deaths related to pregnancy or childbirth) by enhancing review processes and spreading prevention knowledge, benefiting pregnant women, new mothers, and their families, especially in underserved areas.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. health programs, though improved maternal health data and practices could indirectly support global health standards shared with international partners.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: HHS, CDC, and HRSA, which must implement dissemination and funding.
- State and Local Entities: State-based maternal mortality review committees, professional societies (e.g., medical associations), and perinatal quality collaboratives responsible for reviews and quality improvement.
- Healthcare Providers: Hospitals and clinicians, including obstetricians and gynecologists, who receive best practices to apply in patient care.
- Vulnerable Populations: Women of childbearing age, particularly racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately affected by maternal mortality, who stand to gain from better prevention and data-driven interventions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens existing public health authority under the Public Health Service Act without creating new regulatory burdens; emphasizes voluntary coordination rather than mandates on states or providers, reducing potential legal challenges.
- Constitutional: Aligns with the federal government's role in promoting general welfare through health initiatives, with no apparent conflicts with states' rights or privacy concerns, as it focuses on aggregate data improvement rather than individual records.
- Political: Introduced with bipartisan sponsorship (from both Republican and Democratic members), signaling broad support for maternal health; the funding increase may spark debates on federal spending priorities but reinforces ongoing national efforts to address a public health crisis.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Cosponsors (22)
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3], Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14], Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7], Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11], Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-06: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
- 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 — issued 2025-03-06 — PDF (4 pages)