A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize support for State-based maternal mortality review committees, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disseminate best practices on maternal mortality prevention to hospitals, State-based professional societies, and perinatal quality collaboratives, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- S. 2621
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-31: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-29T11:56:24Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States by strengthening state-level review processes for maternal deaths, promoting the sharing of effective prevention strategies, and increasing federal funding for these efforts. It amends the Public Health Service Act to support ongoing maternal health initiatives.
Key Provisions
- Support for Maternal Mortality Review Committees: Updates requirements for state-based committees that investigate maternal deaths. These committees must include experts from clinical fields, explicitly including obstetricians (doctors specializing in pregnancy and childbirth) and gynecologists (doctors specializing in women's reproductive health). It also refines how committees access and improve death records, such as coordinating with officials who certify causes of death to ensure accurate reporting on death certificates.
- Dissemination of Best Practices: Directs 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 proven strategies for preventing maternal deaths and complications. These strategies, drawn from other federal maternal health programs, must be distributed at least once per fiscal year to hospitals, state-based professional groups (like medical associations), and perinatal quality collaboratives (networks focused on improving care for mothers and newborns).
- Funding Authorization: Allocates $100 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to support these maternal mortality review and prevention activities.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the composition of review committees by mandating inclusion of obstetricians and gynecologists, which was previously more general.
- Adjusts data collection rules for death records: Changes language from "as applicable" to "if available" for accessing certain data, and adds specific requirements for improving the accuracy of death certificates through better coordination.
- Introduces a new requirement for annual dissemination of best practices, which did not exist before.
- Increases and extends funding from the previous level of $58 million per year for fiscal years 2019–2023 to $100 million per year for 2026–2030, providing more resources and longer-term support.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Enhances the roles of HHS, CDC, and HRSA in coordinating and funding maternal health efforts, potentially increasing administrative workload for disseminating information but improving data quality and program effectiveness.
- On Citizens: Could lead to fewer maternal deaths and complications by improving how healthcare providers and states identify and address risks during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly benefiting women in underserved or high-risk groups.
- On International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. public health programs.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State Governments and Review Committees: Receive reauthorized funding and updated guidelines to conduct maternal death investigations more effectively.
- Healthcare Providers and Facilities: Hospitals and professional societies gain access to best practices, which could improve training and care standards for pregnant patients.
- Perinatal Quality Collaboratives: These groups, which work on statewide improvements in maternal and newborn care, will receive targeted resources and information.
- Pregnant Women and Families: Indirectly benefit from enhanced prevention efforts aimed at reducing mortality risks.
- Federal Agencies (HHS, CDC, HRSA): Responsible for implementation, funding distribution, and consultation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Builds on existing authority under the Public Health Service Act without creating new regulatory burdens; emphasizes voluntary coordination and data improvement, which aligns with federal privacy laws for health records (e.g., HIPAA, though not explicitly mentioned).
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts, as it involves standard federal spending and public health promotion under Congress's commerce and spending powers.
- Political: Demonstrates bipartisan support (introduced by senators from both parties), signaling broad consensus on maternal health as a priority. The funding increase could influence future budget debates, potentially setting a precedent for expanded federal involvement in state-level health reviews.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Cosponsors (13)
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA], Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR], Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-31: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-07-31: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize support for State-based maternal mortality review committees, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disseminate best practices on maternal mortality prevention to hospitals, State-based professional societies, and perinatal quality collaboratives, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-07-31 — PDF (3 pages)