The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality across developed nations and work continues to do something to change it.
On The House Floor last week, Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and John Joyce (R-PA) led discussion on S.198, The Data Mapping To Save Moms’ Lives Act.
“Maternal mortality rates for black women are three times higher than those of white women. And, the death of Native American and Alaskan women is two times higher. This is simply unacceptable,” stated Pallone when he took to the floor to praise support of the bill last week.
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) released the following joint statement after the House of Representatives later passed S. 198, the “Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act:”
“The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among the developed nations—a sad and inexcusable reality. That’s why today the House continued its work to address this crisis by passing bipartisan legislation to integrate maternal health data, including mortality and severe morbidity, into the Federal Communications Commission’s health mapping platform.
“For pregnant women, access to fast, reliable broadband is a crucial tool for telehealth services like routine checkups, health monitoring, and updating prescriptions. This bill will help us better understand the telehealth and telecommunications barriers too many women face so that we can adopt informed, robust connectivity policies that keep Americans safe and healthy.
“Improving maternal health is a continued priority of this Committee, and we look forward to this bill being signed into law.”
S. 198, the “Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act,” is the companion bill to H.R. 1218, which was introduced by Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to integrate data related to maternal mortality and morbidity into the agency’s Mapping Broadband Health in America platform, with consultation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill passed en bloc by a vote of 380-46.
