VirginiaHB14032026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Severe Maternal Mortality Surveillance and Review Program; established.

Sponsored By: Margaret A. Franklin (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program established; duties; report. Creates the Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program (SMM Program) to identify, analyze, and review instances of severe maternal morbidity. The bill directs the Department of Health to develop a reporting system for hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to report findings and recommendations, as well as a model protocol for conducting reviews of severe maternal morbidity. The bill requires all hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to participate in the SMM Program and report their findings and recommendations to the Department of Health on an annual basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Severe maternal harm reviews at hospitals

Beginning September 1, 2026, the Department of Health runs a statewide program to track and review severe maternal morbidity. Hospitals and freestanding birthing centers must create an advisory board that includes a community group representative and a community-based doula or midwife. They must review every severe maternal morbidity event, check for preventable causes, improve care, and file annual findings through the state system. The Department sets a clear case definition, provides the reporting system, analyzes facility reports, and works with the Maternal Mortality Review Team. It publishes statewide trends without personal information. The Board of Health issues rules to carry this out.

Privacy rules for maternal harm reviews

Beginning September 1, 2026, information from severe maternal morbidity reviews is confidential and not open under FOIA. Meetings that discuss an individual case are closed to the public. Program members and attendees must sign a sworn confidentiality statement; breaking it is a Class 3 misdemeanor. After any law-enforcement case ends, the Department may inspect and copy records about the event. It may access the woman’s health and prenatal records without consent, subject to federal and state privacy laws, and may get other adults’ records only with consent. Findings are shared only in aggregate, and case records are destroyed after review.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Margaret A. Franklin

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 337 • No: 4

Senate vote 3/11/2026

Passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/11/2026

Passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/11/2026

Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate Block Vote

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/10/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/10/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 37 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/9/2026

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/26/2026

Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 15 • No: 0

House vote 2/17/2026

Read third time and passed House

Yes: 95 • No: 2

House vote 2/11/2026

Reported from Appropriations with substitute

Yes: 22 • No: 0

House vote 2/11/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

Yes: 7 • No: 0 • Other: 1

House vote 2/10/2026

Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute and referred to Appropriations

Yes: 21 • No: 1

House vote 2/5/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations

Yes: 7 • No: 1 • Other: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0842)

    4/13/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 842 (Effective 9/1/2026)

    4/13/2026Governor
  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1403)

    3/31/2026House
  4. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/31/2026Governor
  5. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

    3/31/2026House
  6. Signed by Speaker

    3/31/2026House
  7. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1403ER)

    3/30/2026House
  8. Enrolled

    3/30/2026House
  9. Signed by President

    3/30/2026Senate
  10. Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/11/2026Senate
  11. Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/11/2026Senate
  12. Passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/11/2026Senate
  13. Read third time

    3/11/2026Senate
  14. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    3/10/2026Senate
  15. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/10/2026Senate
  16. Rules suspended

    3/10/2026Senate
  17. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

    3/9/2026Senate
  18. Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

    2/26/2026Senate
  19. Assigned Education sub: Health

    2/24/2026Senate
  20. Referred to Committee on Education and Health

    2/18/2026Senate
  21. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/18/2026Senate
  22. Read third time and passed House (95-Y 2-N 0-A)

    2/17/2026House
  23. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    2/16/2026House
  24. committee substitute agreed to

    2/16/2026House
  25. committee substitute rejected

    2/16/2026House

Bill Text

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