Committee retains maternal‑mortality review bill after lengthy privacy and scope debate

The Executive Departments and Administration committee voted to retain Senate Bill 182 after extended argument over whether the measure—introduced as a housekeeping bill to conform federal nomenclature—would improperly expand access to personally identifiable information and broaden the panel’s powers.

The bill would rename and alter the state maternal mortality review process, add the Department of Corrections and the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) as named participants and change how certain records would be handled. Proponents said the changes would bring additional agencies into the review process and reflect evolving maternal‑health challenges; critics said the measure as written would permit overly broad access to the medical and personal records of women who died during or within a year of pregnancy.

Why it matters: The panel’s work informs state recommendations to reduce maternal deaths. Changes to who may access identifiable records and how panel leadership is appointed could affect privacy, the ability to compare…