U.S. Senator Smith, Rep. Davids Reintroduce Legislation to Tackle Maternal Mortality Crisis Through Improved Data, Research

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) re-introduced legislation to address America's worsening maternal mortality crisis through expanding research and improving maternal health care. The Data to Save Moms Act aims to better understand the root causes of the maternal mortality crisis by improving data collection on maternal mortality and morbidity.

"It's not radical to believe that every pregnant woman should be able to get high-quality health care, and that we should focus on areas where we see the biggest disparities in health outcomes," said Senator Smith. "By funding research on maternal health, this legislation will help to understand the root causes of health complications from pregnancy and labor so we can tackle them head on."

"The U.S. is falling desperately short on the issue of maternal health, and frankly, it is shameful - but we can't fix a problem we don't fully understand," said Davids. "By listening to the physicians and mothers who are on the front lines of this crisis and improving our existing data collection methods, we can take informed action and save lives."

The United States remains the only industrialized country with a rising maternal mortality rate, with the crisis disproportionately impacting communities of color. In Minnesota, Black mothers are dying at more than twice the rate of the state average, and Native Americans are more than twelve times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than the state average.

The Data to Save Moms Act critically strengthens Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs), multidisciplinary panels, composed of experts such as obstetricians, forensic pathologists, and community representatives, which operate across the country to review deaths occurring during or within one year of pregnancy and identify opportunities for prevention.

The legislation would enhance the effectiveness of MMRCs and expand maternal health research by:

• Establishing a grant program to promote representative community engagement in MMRCs in states across the country.

• Commissioning the first-ever comprehensive study to understand the scope of the Native American maternal health crisis.

• Providing funding to establish the first Tribal MMRC.

• Conducting a comprehensive review of maternal health data collection, emphasizing the importance of listening to the stories of pregnant women.

• Investing in maternal health research at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs).

###