text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Ending Maternal Mortality Act of 
  2018''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds as follows:
              (1) Four million American women give birth each year, and 
          an estimated 700 will die annually during pregnancy, 
          childbirth, or the postpartum period.
              (2) The United States ranks 47th for maternal mortality 
          rate globally, and is one of only eight countries in which the 
          maternal mortality rate is rising. It is estimated that, 
          between 2000 and 2014, the United States maternal mortality 
          rate grew by 26.6 percent.
              (3) Common causes of maternal mortality include obstetric 
          hemorrhage, hypertension and preeclampsia, sepsis, and 
          substance use disorder and overdose.
              (4) More than half of maternal deaths are likely 
          preventable.
              (5) Additionally, 65,000 American women experience severe 
          maternal morbidity (SMM) annually, meaning the physical and 
          psychological conditions that result from, or are aggravated 
          by, pregnancy have an adverse effect on the health of a woman.
              (6) Racial and ethnic disparities persist across the 
          Nation, and Black women are three to four times more likely to 
          die from complications of pregnancy or childbirth than White 
          women.
  
  SEC. 3. PLAN FOR REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY.
  
      The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
  229 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 237a) the following new section:
  
  ``SEC. 229A. PLAN FOR REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY.
  
      ``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
  enactment of the Ending Maternal Mortality Act of 2018, and biennially 
  thereafter, the Secretary shall develop and submit to the Congress a 
  national plan to reduce the rate of preventable maternal mortality, 
  with the goals of--
              ``(1) cutting the rate in half over the 10 years following 
          such date of enactment; and
              ``(2) eliminating preventable maternal deaths by the date 
          that is 20 years after such date of enactment.
      ``(b) Objectives; Strategy.--In each biennial plan under subsection 
  (a), the Secretary shall include--
              ``(1) a list of objectives for meeting the goals described 
          in subsection (a); and
              ``(2) a strategy for implementing the plan across the 
          agencies and offices of the Department of Health and Human 
          Services.
      ``(c) Specific Issues.--In each biennial plan under subsection (a), 
  the Secretary shall address the following:
              ``(1) Increasing public understanding of maternal mortality 
          and severe maternal morbidity, including risk factors, warning 
          signs, and prevention of common causes like hemorrhage, 
          preeclampsia, and substance use disorders and other mental 
          health conditions.
              ``(2) Improving understanding of the root causes of 
          maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including 
          both medical and socioeconomic factors.
              ``(3) Improving data collection, including State-level 
          reporting.
              ``(4) Identifying at-risk populations and eliminating 
          disparities that persist based on a mother's race, ethnicity, 
          socioeconomic status, and geographic location.
              ``(5) Supporting and expanding maternal mortality review 
          committees that bring together public and private relevant 
          stakeholders to review cases of pregnancy-related and 
          pregnancy-associated complications and deaths to make 
          recommendations to improve the quality of care and outcomes.
              ``(6) Assessing hospital culture of safety in maternity 
          care and how best to provide resources to improve outcomes.
              ``(7) Improving health and treatment services for expectant 
          mothers struggling with substance use and mental health 
          disorders.
              ``(8) Studying and supporting local and targeted responses 
          to maternal death.
              ``(9) Identifying Federal programs and activities to reduce 
          maternal mortality and making recommendations for improving the 
          effectiveness and coordination of such programs and activities.
      ``(d) Public Posting.--The Secretary shall make each plan submitted 
  to the Congress under this section publicly accessible on the website 
  of the Department of Health and Human Services.
      ``(e) Consultation.--In developing each biennial plan under this 
  section, the Secretary shall solicit input from organizations 
  representing patients, health care providers, hospitals, other 
  treatment facilities, public health departments and practitioners, and 
  other entities, as appropriate.
      ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
              ``(1) The term `maternal mortality' refers to maternal 
          deaths that occur during, or within the 12 months following, 
          pregnancy.
              ``(2) The term `maternal morbidity' refers to pregnancy-
          related and pregnancy-associated complications that do not 
          result in maternal death.
              ``(3) The term `severe maternal morbidity' includes 
          unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in 
          significant short- or long-term consequences to a woman's 
          health.''.
target: Ending Maternal Mortality Act of 2018 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to publish every two years a national plan to reduce the rate of preventable maternal mortality (maternal deaths that occur during or within 12 months of pregnancy). Each plan must address specific issues relating to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to a woman's health), such as issues surrounding public awareness, at-risk populations and disparities, and quality of care.
feat_title: Ending Maternal Mortality Act of 2018