# Plain Language Summary: Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act

This bill asks the Federal Communications Commission (the government agency that oversees internet and phone services) to add information about maternal health to its broadband maps. Right now, the FCC creates maps showing where people have good internet access and where they don't. This bill would expand those maps to also show data about how well pregnant women and new mothers are doing in different areas—things like pregnancy complications, delivery outcomes, and health issues during the first year after birth. The idea is to connect the dots between internet access and maternal health, since better internet can help pregnant women and new mothers access telehealth services, find medical information, and stay in touch with their doctors.

To figure out what health information should be included, the FCC would work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which tracks disease and health trends across the country. The CDC would recommend which maternal health outcomes are most important to track and include on these maps. This way, the maps would show not just where broadband is available, but also where mothers are having the most health problems, potentially revealing whether areas with poor internet also have worse maternal health outcomes.

The bill also requires a government study to be completed within a year that examines two key questions: Does having better internet actually help reduce the number of pregnant women and new mothers who experience serious health complications? And which government agency or organization should be responsible for making sure people in underserved areas get better internet access to improve maternal health? This research would help policymakers understand whether improving broadband access is an effective way to save lives and improve outcomes for mothers across the country.

Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act

Butterfield, G. K.

Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include data on certain maternal health outcomes in its&nbsp;broadband health mapping tool. This is an online platform that allows users&nbsp;to visualize, overlay, and analyze broadband and health data at national, state, and county levels. The FCC must consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine which maternal health outcomes should be incorporated. The Government Accountability Office must also study the effectiveness of internet connectivity in improving maternal health outcomes and other issues.