Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) is introducing a bipartisan bill reauthorizing federal assistance to states' maternal healthcare programs.
Named the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act, the legislation, as suggested, reauthorizes the 2018 Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, which became law in 2018.
As March of Dimes explained, the original Preventing Maternal Deaths Act strengthens and expands federal support for Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs), which study and identify the causes and prevention of childbirth-related deaths.
Shockingly, according to the site, the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the developed world, with 50,000 women experiencing life-threatening complications arising from childbirth. Almost 900 women died from pregnancy-related causes in 2020, and 2021 saw 10.5% of newborns arrive preterm, a 15-year-high.
In her press release, Rep. Cammack said, "The maternal health crisis demands urgent action, and the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act is a necessary step toward protecting mothers and babies across the country. This bipartisan legislation renews our commitment to addressing maternal mortality by supporting Maternal Mortality Review Committees, fostering better data collection, and equipping healthcare providers with evidence-based best practices."
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act is Rep. Cammack's third healthcare-related bill introduced or reintroduced in 2025, with mid-February seeing the reintroduction of her Affordable Care and Comprehensive Economic Support through Savings (ACCESS) Act with Representative Greg Steube (R-FL).
Later in February, the Florida Congresswoman reintroduced the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act.
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), who is cosponsoring the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act, stated, "This legislation will help more moms have safe pregnancies and assist local community organizations in Florida to improve the quality of care for new and expecting mothers. This reauthorization will strengthen lifesaving initiatives that use research, prevention, and evidence-based best practices to meet the needs of pregnant and postpartum women in America."
In December, Rep. Castor urged for the passage of another maternity-related bill, the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act, which expands federal assistance in studying and preventing stillbirths.
