Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 198) to require the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health maps, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: S. 198

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act''. SEC. 2. MAPPING BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES.

(a) Incorporation of Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity Data.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall incorporate publicly available data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including for not less than 1 year postpartum, into the Mapping Broadband Health in America platform of the Commission.

(b) Consultation With CDC.--The Federal Communications Commission shall consult with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity data that should be incorporated under subsection (a).

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Mr. PALLONE. 198.

I rise in strong support of S. 198, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.

The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality across developed nations. And while maternal mortality and morbidity are problems that affect women throughout the country, these concerns are especially pronounced in Black and Native American communities.

Maternal mortality rates for Black women are three times higher than those of White women, and the rate of death for American Indians and Alaska Native women is two times higher. This is simply unacceptable, and we should be taking action to reverse these disturbing numbers.

Technology, Mr. Speaker, has a role to play but requires modern connectivity like high-speed broadband to provide the most potential. For instance, access to telehealth services like routine checkups, health monitoring, and updated prescriptions can go a long way in ensuring the health and safety of both the mother and child.

This legislation before us today seeks to help lawmakers, public health officials, and the public at large to consider issues of connectivity and maternal health outcomes in tandem. Once implemented, it will provide a better idea for how connectivity and health data intersect. This will help us better target telehealth services to vulnerable populations in communities at risk of maternal mortality and morbidity.

Specifically, Mr. Speaker, it will require the FCC to integrate publicly available data related to maternal health, including mortality and severe morbidity, into its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. The FCC will be required to consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the right data to include for this effort.

We have worked closely with our Senate colleagues to get this legislation enacted, and I want to acknowledge and thank Senators Rosen and Fischer for their leadership on the bill. This bipartisan Senate bill incorporates the text of the House-passed version championed by Representatives Butterfield, Bilirakis, and Lisa Blunt Rochester.

This initiative, Mr. Speaker, combined with other good work that we in the executive branch have done, will help us better understand the communications barriers that some pregnant women face so that we can explore connectivity policies that help keep these women safe and healthy.

Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support S.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge that we support this bill on a bipartisan basis, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

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