Committee approves maternal‑ and infant‑mortality review bills despite press concerns about confidentiality
Summary
The committee approved companion bills to establish Maternal and Infant Mortality Review Committees and seek CDC grant funding; health officials said confidentiality exemptions are needed to encourage hospital participation, while the Arkansas Press Association argued proposed FOI exemptions are too broad.
Representative Ferguson and others presented HB 14‑40 (maternal) and HB 14‑41 (infant), companion measures to establish formal review committees and to pursue CDC grant funding. Stephanie Williams and Dr. William Greenfield of the Department of Health said an MMRC would help identify preventable deaths and inform practice changes; Greenfield said Arkansas currently lacks an active Maternal Mortality Review Committee and cited CDC evidence that many deaths are preventable.
Legal counsel Laura Hsu of the Department of Health explained the bills include confidentiality protections modeled on other public‑health exemptions and said those protections are typical to secure participation by hospitals and providers. Sonny Alvarado of the Arkansas Press Association testified in opposition, saying the FOI exemptions as drafted would be overly broad and could prevent the public from understanding how committees reached conclusions.
Sponsors said confidentiality and de‑identified data are necessary to obtain complete participation and grant funding from CDC; the committee voted to pass both bills by voice vote. The transcript records an annual report requirement to the legislature and sponsors said the health department would deliver reports to Public Health and ALC.
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