WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement applauding Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Susan Brooks (R-IL), and Robin Kelly (D-IL) on their introduction of companion legislation to Senator Rosen’s Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act.
“It is critical that Congress take action to improve the maternal health of women in Nevada and across our country,” said Senator Rosen. “I am glad to see the House introduce companion legislation to my bipartisan Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act. This forward-thinking bill would help to identify where improvements in broadband and access to health care, including telehealth, would make the most difference for improving maternal health outcomes. I will continue working on legislation that improves access and quality of care for all Nevadans.”
BACKGROUND: Earlier this month, Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Todd Young (R-IN), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act, bipartisan legislation that 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.
The Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act (S. 3152) would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to map areas in the United States that have both internet service gaps and high rates of poor maternal health outcomes. Access to 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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