Virginia SB 490: Maternal Mortality Review Team; expansion plan, report.

Bill Text

2024SESSION
INTRODUCED
24104846D
1 SENATEBILLNO.490
2 OfferedJanuary10,2024
3 PrefiledJanuary9,2024
4 A BILL to direct the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Maternal Mortality Review Team to
5 convene a work group to expand the work of the Maternal Mortality Review Team; report.
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Patrons––AirdandCarrollFoy
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8 ReferredtoCommitteeonRules
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10 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
11 1. § 1. That the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the Department of Health and the Maternal
12 Mortality Review Team shall convene a work group to develop a plan for expanding the composition
13 and scope of work of the Maternal Mortality Review Team.
14 The work group shall develop:
15 1. Methods for collecting information about maternal morbidity in the Commonwealth;
16 2. Criteria for selecting cases for investigation and review;
17 3. Criteria for selecting cases for in-depth review, which may include interviews with families and
18 community members who have information on such cases;
19 4. Procedures for maintaining confidentiality and security with regard to reviews undertaken by the
20 Maternal Mortality Review Team;
21 5. A five-year plan for the expansion and operation of the Maternal Mortality Review Team, which
22 shall include (i) identification of necessary staff and equipment; (ii) identification of annual goals; (iii)
23 provisions for coordination among stakeholders; (iv) identification of funding sources available to
24 support and sustain the Maternal Mortality Review Team; (v) a proposed annual budget for each year;
25 and (vi) a proposed data dissemination plan that includes data to be disseminated, methodology for
26 dissemination, frequency of dissemination, and a list of key stakeholders and community partners who
27 may be interested in the data and other outputs, and
28 6. Any recommendations for further study, legislative actions, or implementation of the Maternal
29 Mortality Review Team.
30 The work group shall include the Chief Medical Examiner, the Director of the Office of Family
31 Health, the State Registrar of Vital Records, the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental
32 Services, the Commissioner of Social Services, the Director of the Department of Corrections, the
33 Maternal Child Health Epidemiologist, the Maternal Mortality Program Manager, and the Director of
34 the Department of Criminal Justice Services, or their designees; the Director of the Virginia Neonatal
35 Perinatal Collaborative or his designee; community stakeholders, including doulas working with
36 impacted communities, local nonprofit organizations, mental health treatment providers, and other
37 community stakeholders; representatives of medical professionals with experience in maternal health;
38 staff and members of such state agencies as may be appropriate; and the presidents of (i) the Virginia
39 Hospital and Healthcare Association, (ii) the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Obstetrics
40 and Gynecology, (iii) the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and (iv) the Virginia
41 Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, or their designees.
42 The work group shall, in its expansion and operation plan, include plans to: (i) collect data on the
43 incidence and causes of maternal death in the Commonwealth, including severe maternal morbidity; (ii)
44 create a comprehensive integrated review of all maternal deaths and incidence of severe maternal
45 morbidity in the Commonwealth, which shall include a statewide retrospective review of all existing
46 records relating to each maternal death and instance of severe maternal morbidity; (iii) develop policies
47 and recommendations to address the circumstances that may negatively impact maternal health and to
48 improve services, systems of care, and resources for women, infants, and families; and (iv) work with
49 communities and partners to implement such policies and recommendations and create actionable
50 processes of change. Community health care workers, community doulas and doula organizations, and
51 others relevant stakeholders shall be included in the review of the data, the development of policy
52 recommendations, and the implementation of the policies.
53 The work group shall report its findings and provide its plan to the Chairmen of the House
54 Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on
55 Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED
SB490
2/13/24
17:11