Data to Save Moms Act
Sponsored By: Senator Tina Smith
Introduced
Summary
Improving maternal health data and boosting community input to reduce pregnancy-related deaths, especially for racial and Tribal minority groups. This bill would fund community engagement for maternal mortality review committees, expand what those committees review, and back targeted research and data reviews to spot and fix disparities.
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- Families and communities: Would fund competitive grants to maternal mortality review committees to add diverse community members and cover training, transportation, and compensation. It would authorize $10 million per year for 2027–2031 for these grants and reserve at least $1.5 million annually for Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations.
- American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Would require a comprehensive AI/AN maternal health study with a 12-member advisory panel, listening sessions, and analysis across IHS, tribal, urban Indian, and non-IHS settings. It would authorize $2 million per year for 2027–2029 for that study.
- Data, quality measures, and research: Would require HHS, through the CMS Administrator and the AHRQ Director, to review maternal health data systems and quality measures and publish recommendations within a year. It would also create $10 million per year in grants for minority-serving institutions for research on disparities and workforce diversity for 2027–2031.
*Would authorize at least $106 million in specified federal funding for 2027–2031 and additional unspecified sums for the comprehensive review, increasing federal outlays.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Review of maternal data and measures
If enacted, HHS (through CMS and AHRQ) would conduct a comprehensive review of how maternal health data are collected and how maternity quality is measured. The review would cover timeliness of death certificate changes, demographic data in electronic records, hospital reporting barriers, MMRC membership and training, social determinants, and validity of existing quality measures. The Secretary would report results to Congress and publish recommendations within 1 year after enactment. The section authorizes such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.
Clear maternal health definitions added
If enacted, this bill would add clear statutory definitions for maternal health terms. It would define "postpartum" as the one-year period after pregnancy. It would list who counts as a maternity care provider, including a State-accredited doula eligible for Medicaid reimbursement and certain lactation consultants. It would also include mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the definition of severe maternal morbidity.
American Indian and Alaska Native maternal study
If enacted, the Secretary would contract within 90 days with an independent research group or a Tribal Epidemiology Center to study maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among American Indian and Alaska Native people. The study would include a 12-member advisory group representing each IHS service area, listening sessions, review of care across IHS, tribal, urban Indian, and non-IHS settings, and analysis of racial misclassification and coordination with other HHS social services. The contractor would report to Congress within 36 months. The bill would authorize $2 million per year for FY2027–2029 to support the study.
Grants for minority-serving maternal research
If enacted, HHS would create a competitive grant program for minority-serving institutions to study maternal deaths and severe maternal health problems affecting racial and ethnic minority groups. The program would be authorized at $10 million per year for FY2027–2031. HHS could use up to 10% of those funds each year for outreach, technical help, and capacity building so institutions can apply. Grantees would report to HHS and HHS would send an annual report to Congress starting one year after the first award.
Stronger maternal mortality review committees
If enacted, HHS would offer competitive grants to State, Tribal, and Urban Indian maternal mortality review committees to boost community representation and engagement. The grants could pay for recruiting and compensating diverse community members, training, transportation, and other supports, and would require public reports. The bill would authorize $10 million per year for FY2027–2031, with at least $1.5 million each year reserved for Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or Urban Indian organizations. The bill would also ask MMRCs, to the extent practicable, to review severe maternal morbidity using up-to-date indicators and to review deaths up to one year after pregnancy from suicide, overdose, and pregnancy-related mental health or substance use disorders, and to consult community groups.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Tina Smith
MN • D
Cosponsors
Cory Booker
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Christopher Murphy
CT • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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