,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fach ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #i1 #bjbj,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,underwood1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 and ,mr4 ,lawson of ,florida7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to improve maternal health outcomes1 especially for underserved populations1 through investments in technology1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,tech to ,save ,moms ,act4 #b4 ,,cmi modeling of integrated telehealth models in maternity care services 7a7 ,in general ,section #aaae;,a7b77#b77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae;a7b77#b77;,b77 is amended by adding at the end the following new clauses3 7xxviii7 ,focusing on title ,,xix1 providing for the adoption of and use of telehealth tools that allow for screening and treatment of common pregnancy-related complications 7including anxiety and depression1 substance use disorder1 hemorrhage1 infection1 amniotic fluid embolism1 thrombotic pulmonary or other embolism1 hypertensive disorders of pregnancy1 cerebrovascular accidents1 cardiomyopathy1 and other cardiovascular conditions7 for a pregnant woman receiving medical assistance under such title during her pregnancy and for not more than a #a-year period beginning on the last day of her pregnancy4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall take effect #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 #c4 ,grants to expand the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity models that provide care to pregnant and postpartum women ,title ,,iii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act is amended by inserting after section #ccj,m 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;c-#ai7 the following3 #ccj,n4 ,expanding capacity for maternal health outcomes 7a7 ,program established ,beginning not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall1 as appropriate1 award grants to eligible entities to evaluate1 develop1 and1 as appropriate1 expand the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models1 to improve maternal health outcomes in health professional shortage areas2 areas with high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity1 and significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes2 and for medically underserved populations or ,american ,indians and ,alaska ,natives1 including ,indian tribes1 ,tribal organizations1 and urban ,indian organizations4 7b7 ,use of ,funds 7#a7 ,required uses ,grants awarded under subsection 7a7 shall be used for-- 7,a7 the development and acquisition of instructional programming1 and the training of maternal health care providers and other professionals that provide or assist in the provision of services through models such as-- 7i7 training on adopting and effectively implementing ,alliance for ,innovation on ,maternal ,health 7referred to in this section as ,,aim7 safety and quality improvement bundles2 7ii7 training on implicit and explicit bias1 racism1 and discrimination for providers of maternity care2 7iii7 training on best practices in screening for and1 as needed1 evaluating and treating maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders2 7iv7 training on how to screen for social determinants of health risks in the prenatal and postpartum periods such as inadequate housing1 lack of access to nutrition1 environmental risks1 and transportation barriers2 and 7v7 training on the use of remote patient monitoring tools for pregnancy-related complications described in section #aaae;,a7b77#b77;,b77xxviii72 7,b7 information collection and evaluation activities to-- 7i7 study the impact of such models on-- 7,i7 access to and quality of care2 7,,ii7 patient outcomes2 7,,iii7 subjective measures of patient experience2 and 7,,iv7 cost-effectiveness2 and 7ii7 identify best practices for the expansion and use of such models2 7,c7 information collection and evaluation activities to study the impact of such models on patient outcomes and maternal health care providers1 and to identify best practices the expansion and use of such models2 and 7,d7 any other activity consistent with achieving the objectives of grants awarded under this section1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7#b7 ,permissible uses ,in addition to any of the uses under paragraph 7#a71 grants awarded under subsection 7a7 may be used for-- 7,a7 equipment to support the use and expansion of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models1 including for hardware and software that enables distance learning1 maternal health care provider support1 and the secure exchange of electronic health information2 and 7,b7 support for maternal health care providers and other professionals that provide or assist in the provision of maternity care services through such models4 7c7 ,limitations 7#a7 ,number ,the ,secretary may not award more than #a grant under this section to an eligible entity4 7#b7 ,duration ,each grant under this section shall be made for a period of up to #e years4 7#c7 ,amount ,the ,secretary shall determine the maximum amount of each grant under this section4 7d7 ,grant requirements ,the ,secretary shall require entities awarded a grant under this section to collect information on the effect of the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models1 such as on maternal health outcomes1 access to maternal health care services1 quality of maternal health care1 and maternal health care provider retention in areas and populations described in subsection 7a74 ,the ,secretary may award a grant or contract to assist in the coordination of such models1 including to assess outcomes associated with the use of such models in grants awarded under subsection 7a71 including for the purpose described in subsection 7b77#a77;,b74 7e7 ,application 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity that seeks to receive a grant under subsection 7a7 shall submit to the ,secretary an application1 at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,matters to be included ,such application shall include plans to assess the effect of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models on indicators1 including access to and quality of care1 patient outcomes1 subjective measures of patient experience1 and cost-effectiveness4 ,such indicators may focus on-- 7,a7 health professional shortage areas2 7,b7 areas with high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity1 and significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes2 and 7,c7 medically underserved populations or ,american ,indians and ,alaska ,natives1 including ,indian tribes1 ,tribal organizations1 and urban ,indian organizations4 7f7 ,access to broadband ,in administering grants under this section1 the ,secretary may coordinate with other agencies to ensure that funding opportunities are available to support access to reliable1 high-speed internet for grantees4 7g7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary shall provide 7either directly through the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services or by contract7 technical assistance to eligible entities1 including recipients of grants under subsection 7a71 on the development1 use1 and post-grant sustainability of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models in order to expand access to maternal health care services provided by such entities1 including for health professional shortage areas and areas with high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity1 and significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes1 and to medically underserved populations or ,american ,indians and ,alaska ,natives1 including ,indian tribes1 ,tribal organizations1 and urban ,indian organizations4 7h7 ,research and evaluation ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with stakeholders with appropriate expertise in such models1 shall develop a strategic plan to research and evaluate the evidence for such models4 ,the ,secretary shall use such plan to inform the activities carried out under this section4 7i7 ,reporting 7#a7 ,by eligible entities ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection 7a7 shall submit to the ,secretary a report1 at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,by the ,secretary ,not later than #d years after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit to the ,congress1 and post on the internet website of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 a report including1 at minimum-- 7,a7 a description of any new and continuing grants awarded under subsection 7a7 and the specific purpose and amounts of such grants2 7,b7 an overview of-- 7i7 the evaluations conducted under subsection 7b72 7ii7 technical assistance provided under subsection 7g72 and 7iii7 activities conducted by entities awarded grants under subsection 7a72 and 7,c7 a description of any significant findings related to patient outcomes or maternal health care providers and best practices for eligible entities expanding1 using1 or evaluating technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models4 7j7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section1 #f1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe4 7k7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,eligible entity 7,a7 ,in general ,the term eligible entity means an entity that provides1 or supports the provision of1 maternal health care services or other evidence-based services for pregnant and postpartum women-- 7i7 in health professional shortage areas2 7ii7 in areas with high rates of adverse maternal health outcomes and significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes2 or 7iii7 medically underserved populations or ,american ,indians and ,alaska ,natives1 including ,indian tribes1 ,tribal organizations1 and urban ,indian organizations4 7,b7 ,inclusions ,an eligible entity may include entities leading1 or capable of leading1 a technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building model or engaging in technology-enabled collaborative training of participants in such model4 7#b7 ,health professional shortage area ,the term health professional shortage area means a health professional shortage area designated under section #ccb4 7#c7 ,indian tribe ,the term ,indian tribe has the meaning given such term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act4 7#d7 ,maternal mortality ,the term maternal mortality means a death occurring during or within a #a-year period after pregnancy caused by pregnancy or childbirth complications4 7#e7 ,medically underserved population ,the term medically underserved population has the meaning given such term in section #ccj7;b77#c74 7#f7 ,postpartum ,the term postpartum means the #a-year period beginning on the last date of the pregnancy of a woman4 7#g7 ,severe maternal mortality ,the term severe maternal morbidity means an unexpected outcome caused by labor and delivery of a woman that results in a significant short-term or long-term consequences to the health of the woman4 7#h7 ,technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building model ,the term technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building model means a distance health education model that connects health care professionals1 and particularly specialists1 with multiple other health care professionals through simultaneous interactive videoconferencing for the purpose of facilitating case-based learning1 disseminating best practices1 and evaluating outcomes in the context of maternal health care4 7#i7 ,tribal organization ,the term ,tribal organization has the meaning given such term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act4 7#aj7 ,urban ,indian organization ,the term urban ,indian organization has the meaning given such term in section #d of the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement ,act4 4 #d4 ,grants to promote equity in maternal health outcomes by increasing access to digital tools 7a7 ,in general ,beginning not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall carry out a program 7in this section referred to as ,investments in ,digital ,tools to ,promote ,equity in ,maternal ,health ,outcomes ,program or ,program7 under which the ,secretary makes grants to eligible entities reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes by increasing access to digital tools related to maternal health care4 7b7 ,applications ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7c7 ,limitations 7#a7 ,number ,the ,secretary may not award more than #a grant under this section to an eligible entity4 7#b7 ,duration ,each grant under this section shall be made for a period of not more than #e years4 7#c7 ,amount ,the ,secretary shall determine the maximum amount of each grant under this section4 7#d7 ,prioritization ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall prioritize the selection of an eligible entity that-- 7,a7 operates in an area with high rates of adverse maternal health outcomes and significant racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes2 and 7,b7 promotes technology that address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes4 7d7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary shall provide technical assistance to an eligible entity on the development1 use1 evaluation1 and post-grant sustainability of digital tools for purposes of promoting equity in maternal health outcomes4 7e7 ,reporting 7#a7 ,by eligible entities ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection 7a7 shall submit to the ,secretary a report1 at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7#b7 ,by the ,secretary ,not later than #d years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report that-- 7,a7 evaluates the effectiveness of grants awarded under this section in improving maternal health outcomes for minority women2 7,b7 makes recommendations for future grant programs that promote the use of technology to improve maternal health outcomes for minority women2 and 7,c7 makes recommendations that address-- 7i7 privacy and security safeguards that should implemented in the use of technology in maternal health care2 7ii7 reimbursement rates for maternal telehealth services2 7iii7 the use of digital tools to analyze large data sets for the purposes of identifying potential pregnancy-related complications as early as possible2 7iv7 barriers that prevent maternal health care providers from providing telehealth services across ,states and recommendations from the ,centers for ,medicare and ,medicaid ,services for addressing such barriers in ,state ,medicaid programs2 7v7 the use of consumer digital tool such as mobile phone applications1 patient portals1 and wearable technologies to improve maternal health outcomes2 7vi7 barriers that prevent consumers from accessing telehealth services or other digital technologies to improve maternal health outcomes1 including a lack of access to reliable1 high-speed internet or lack of access to electronic devices needed to use such services and technologies2 and 7vii7 any other related issues as determined by the ,secretary4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section1 #f1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe4 7g7 ,eligible entity defined ,in this section1 the term eligible entity is an entity that is described in section #ea;a4#c7;a7 of title #db1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 including domestic faith-based and community-based organizations4 #e4 ,report on the use of technology to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity and to close racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall seek to enter an agreement with the ,national ,academies of ,sciences1 ,engineering1 and ,medicine 7referred to in this ,act as the ,national ,academies7 under which the ,national ,academies shall conduct a study on the use of technology to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity1 and close racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes in the ,united ,states4 ,the study shall assess current and future uses of artificial intelligence in maternity care1 including issues such as-- 7#a7 the extent to which artificial intelligence technologies are currently being used in maternal health care2 7#b7 the extent to which artificial intelligence technologies have exacerbated racial or ethnic biases in maternal health care2 7#c7 recommendations for reducing racial or ethnic biases in artificial intelligence technologies used in maternal health care2 7#d7 recommendations for potential applications of artificial intelligence technologies that could improve maternal health outcomes1 particularly for minority women2 and 7#e7 recommendations for privacy and security safeguards that should implemented in the development of artificial intelligence technologies in maternal health care4 7b7 ,report ,as a condition of any agreement under subsection 7a71 the ,administrator shall require that the ,national ,academies transmit to ,congress a report on the results of the study under subsection 7a7 not later than #bd months after the date of enactment of this ,act4 #f4 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,maternal mortality ,the term maternal mortality means a death occurring during or within a #a-year period after pregnancy caused by pregnancy or childbirth complications4 7#b7 ,severe maternal mortality ,the term severe maternal morbidity means an unexpected outcome caused by labor and delivery of a woman that results in significant short-term or long-term consequences to the health of the woman4