Sponsors (44)
The bill strengthens maternal mortality/morbidity review scope, data, community engagement, and targeted research—especially for racial/ethnic and Tribal populations—to better identify and prevent deaths and severe complications, but it increases federal and state costs, administrative burdens, and raises practical privacy and implementation risks that must be managed.
Pregnant and postpartum people (including those up to 1 year postpartum) will have reviews expanded to include severe maternal morbidity and deaths from suicide, overdose, and mental-health/substance-use causes, improving detection of nonfatal complications and informing prevention and treatment.
State, Tribal, and local public health systems and MMRCs will get improved data quality, standardized quality measures and definitions, and better surveillance/reporting, enabling more targeted programs and clearer policy action on maternal health.
Women from racial and ethnic minority groups and Indigenous communities will gain greater representation and community engagement in Maternal Mortality Review Committees through guaranteed Tribal set‑asides, funding for participation (compensation/transportation), technical assistance, and required community consultation.
Taxpayers and federal/state budgets will face increased costs from authorized funding (research, community engagement grants, Tribal set‑asides) and potential expanded service eligibility (e.g., 1-year postpartum services), which could require offsets or add to deficits if not appropriated carefully.
HHS, state and local governments, MMRCs, hospitals, and providers will face substantial administrative and implementation burdens — more reporting, data linkage, grant administration, accreditation and Medicaid plan updates, and technical assistance needs — requiring staff/time and possibly new funding.
States, Medicaid agencies, and providers may incur additional costs to update credentialing, billing, and IT systems to include nonclinical maternity providers (doulas, CHWs) and expanded data collection, raising short-term implementation expenses for programs and hospitals.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes grants, research, and data/system reviews to improve maternal mortality reviews, data quality, and research—prioritizing Tribal and racial/ethnic minority outcomes.
Introduced March 25, 2026 by Sharice Davids · Last progress March 25, 2026
Authorizes new grant funding and research to improve how maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity are reviewed, measured, and prevented, with special emphasis on engaging diverse community members and addressing racial, ethnic, and Tribal disparities. It expands the scope of maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) to consider severe maternal morbidity and mental‑health or substance‑use–related deaths within one year postpartum, requires HHS to review and recommend improvements to maternal health data and quality measures, commissions a focused study on American Indian and Alaska Native maternal outcomes, and creates grants for minority‑serving institutions to study adverse maternal outcomes. The bill includes specific funding authorizations, reporting requirements, technical assistance, and definitions for key maternal health terms.