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House passes bill to expand maternal‑mortality review access to clinical and psychiatric records
Summary
House Bill 89 passed after proponents said the measure will strengthen maternal‑mortality review capability by clarifying data access, establishing perinatal structures and specifying autopsy responsibilities; the House voted 68–7.
The Georgia House approved House Bill 89 to expand information access and oversight related to maternal mortality reviews, including clarifying access to psychiatric and other clinical records for the maternal mortality review committee and providing for regional perinatal structures.
Representative Cooper, the bill’s floor sponsor, said the measure aims to improve the state response to maternal deaths by setting parameters for perinatal regional centers, specifying which entities perform autopsies in certain cases, and addressing longstanding difficulties obtaining psychiatric records needed for thorough reviews. Members spoke about the disproportionate impact of pregnancy‑associated deaths on Black women and rural Georgians and urged improved data collection and continued resourcing of review processes.
Representative Cannon supported the bill on the floor and urged timely data publication by the Department of Public Health. She also noted past organizational problems with the maternal mortality review committee (MMRC): several MMRC members who had previously served — including clinicians connected to major medical institutions — were disbanded earlier in the year, and supporters urged reappointments and continuity of expertise.
On procedural questions, House leaders and other members emphasized confidentiality rules governing committee review materials; Representative Cooper explained that the state restarted a new committee after a breach of confidentiality earlier this year and that the current committee is functioning.
The House adopted a committee substitute and recorded the final vote as 68 yeas and 7 nays; the presiding officer declared the bill passed.
The bill’s floor caption identified changes to Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia, which governs the Department of Public Health and related statutory provisions governing maternal mortality reviews. The bill text as presented on the floor included provisions to improve access to clinical and psychiatric information for authorized review and to establish perinatal/regional care coordination measures.
