New Law Aims to Prevent Maternal Deaths that Have Doubled Since 1987

​President Trump has signed into law a new regulation intended to reduce maternal mortality by funding surveillance, data collection, and research into reducing maternal mortality rates, which have doubled since 1987, according to a December 27, 2018, article in Health Data Management. The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, signed by the president December 21, 2018, funds state committees to investigate maternal mortality and share data nationwide to identify potential solutions. A group of more than 80 organizations, including the American Medical Association, encouraged Congress to pass the bill by the end of 2018. The act authorizes $58 million for each fiscal year from 2019 through 2023, which will aid 33 existing states with maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) and help the other 17 states develop them.