WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement announcing that the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act, bipartisan legislation she introduced in January with Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Todd Young (R-IN), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent. This legislation would utilize data mapping to show where high rates of poor maternal health outcomes overlap with lack of access to broadband services in order to help identify where improved access to telehealth services can be most effective.
“It’s imperative that we work to improve maternal health outcomes for women in Nevada and across the country as our nation has seen a dramatic increase in maternal mortality over the last few decades,” said Senator Rosen. “By directing the FCC to map out areas with a need for both increased maternal care and access to broadband, we can better target where telemedicine and technology infrastructure improvements can be most effective to improve outcomes for expecting mothers, and to save lives.”
BACKGROUND: The bipartisan Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act (S. 3152) introduced in the Senate by Rosen, Fischer, Young, and Schatz would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to map areas in the United States that have both broadband service gaps and high rates of poor maternal health outcomes. This critical information will help identify where improved access to telehealth services can be most effective, an issue of particular importance as U.S. women face startling statistics during pregnancy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), severe complications related to pregnancy, known as severe maternal morbidity, impacts over 50,000 women in the U.S. each year.
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