Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
*JMB578* 03/19/2025 5:22:56 PM JMB578
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1869 3
4
By: Representative L. Johnson 5
By: Senator Irvin 6
7
For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MATERNAL OUTCOMES MANAGEMENT 9
SYSTEM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; TO ORGANIZE 10
MATERNAL HEALTH RESOURCES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
12
13
Subtitle 14
TO CREATE THE MATERNAL OUTCOMES 15
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT 16
OF HEALTH; AND TO ORGANIZE MATERNAL 17
HEALTH RESOURCES. 18
19
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 20
21
SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 16, is amended to add an 22
additional subchapter to read as follows: 23
Subchapter 26 — Maternal Outcomes Management System 24
25
20-16-2601. Legislative findings and intent. 26
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 27
(1) In this state, the maternal mortality rate has consistently 28
surpassed the national average, with an estimated ninety -two percent (92%) of 29
maternal deaths being preventable; 30
(2) Approximately seventy -five (75) to one hundred (100) women 31
in this state die from pregnancy -related complications each year, 32
underscoring the urgency of effective maternal health interventions; 33
(3) This state has successfully addressed trauma and stroke -34
related mortality issues by developing a statewide system of care that has 35
resulted in a fifty percent (50%) reduction in preventable trauma mortality 36 HB1869
2 03/19/2025 5:22:56 PM JMB578
and a move from fiftieth in the nation in 2011 for stroke mortality to 1
thirty-seventh in 2021; and 2
(4) It is critical to the health of the residents of this state 3
to ensure that every mother in this state has access to the resources and 4
care that she needs. 5
(b) It is the intent of this subchapter to establish a comprehensive 6
statewide system of care addressing maternal health by organizing resources, 7
educating providers and patients, incentivizing best practices, and 8
collecting critical data to drive improvement. 9
10
20-16-2602. Maternal Outcomes Management System. 11
(a) The Department of Health shall create a comprehensive statewide 12
system of care addressing maternal health to be called the "Maternal Outcomes 13
Management System". 14
(b) The Maternal Outcomes Management System shall without limitation: 15
(1)(A) Research and organize maternal health resources. 16
(B) The Department of Health, in conjunction with other 17
state agencies as appropriate, shall maintain on the website of the 18
Department of Health resources pertaining to maternal health including 19
without limitation information regarding: 20
(i) Enrollment in the Arkansas Medicaid Program; 21
(ii) Lactation education; 22
(iii) Provider access; 23
(iv) Transportation resources; 24
(v) Maternal health education; and 25
(vi) Local community support services; 26
(2) Provide education to patients and clinicians regarding 27
maternal health issues; 28
(3) Incentivize best practices for maternal health through the 29
grant program described in § 20 -16-2603; 30
(4) In conjunction with the Arkansas Hospital Association, the 31
Department of Human Services, and the Department of Health, collect data 32
concerning maternal health from birthing and delivery hospitals to promote 33
best practices and to identify opportunities for improvement in maternal 34
health care; 35
(5) Develop a platform for structured peer review; and 36 HB1869
3 03/19/2025 5:22:56 PM JMB578
(6) Coordinate care through the continuum of services needed to 1
ensure the best maternal health outcomes. 2
(c) The activities of the Maternal Outcomes Management System under 3
this section and the additional requirements under this subchapter are 4
contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funding. 5
6
20-16-2603. Grants for birthing and delivery hospitals — Designation 7
system. 8
(a)(1) As part of the Maternal Outcomes Management System, the 9
Department of Health shall establish a grant program for birthing and 10
delivery hospitals that includes a designation system for birthing and 11
delivery hospitals based on the individual hospital's capability to provide 12
clinical care for pregnant women. 13
(2) The department shall: 14
(A) Accept applications from birthing and delivery 15
hospitals to participate in the grant program under subdivision (a)(1) of 16
this section; 17
(B) Determine conditions for designation in the grant 18
program under subdivision (a)(1) of this section; and 19
(C) Set the time frame for review and renewal of the 20
applications under subdivision (a)(2)(A) of this section. 21
(3) The designation system for birthing and delivery hospitals 22
described in subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall: 23
(A) Be in accordance with the levels of maternal care from 24
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as existing on 25
January 1, 2025; and 26
(B) Evaluate the capabilities of a hospital to deliver 27
high-quality maternity care and ensure that all mothers receive the 28
appropriate level of care. 29
(4) The birthing and delivery hospitals under subdivision (a)(1) 30
of this section shall be organized into the appropriate hospital regions to 31
meet regularly as determined by the department to discuss maternal health 32
data and to provide a forum for regional peer review and performance feedback 33
to and from the department and the birthing and delivery hospitals. 34
(b) To qualify for a grant under the grant program established under 35
subsection (a) of this section, a birthing and delivery hospital shall meet 36 HB1869
4 03/19/2025 5:22:56 PM JMB578
requirements set by the department including without limitation: 1
(1) Community outreach and education; 2
(2) Clinician education on maternal health; 3
(3) Peer review of all birthing and delivery complications; 4
(4) Participation in regional meetings of birthing and delivery 5
hospitals; 6
(5) An on-site maternal health coordinator; 7
(6) Local site visits from inspectors of the department; and 8
(7) Achievement of certain clinical metrics consistent with 9
evidence-based practices proven to improve maternal health outcomes. 10
(c) A grant under this section shall be distributed in a manner that 11
provides the greatest financial support to birthing and delivery hospitals 12
with the fewest resources. 13
(d) The department may promulgate rules to implement this section. 14
15
20-16-2604. MOMS Care Connect — Coordinating call center. 16
The Department of Health shall establish a call center to be called the 17
"MOMS Care Connect" to operate in conjunction with the Arkansas Trauma Call 18
Center and to coordinate transfers of pregnant women between hospitals to 19
ensure an appropriate level of care is provided. 20
21
20-16-2605. Postpartum Support Hotline — Post-delivery call center. 22
(a)(1) The Department of Health shall establish a call center to be 23
called the "Postpartum Support Hotline" to proactively reach out to mothers 24
post-delivery. 25
(2) The call center established in this section shall be 26
separate from MOMS Care Connect established under § 20 -16-2604. 27
(3) The department may partner with another state entity or an 28
institution of higher education to establish the call center established in 29
this section. 30
(b) The call center under this section shall screen mothers through a 31
standardized questionnaire developed by the department to determine which 32
mothers need follow-up information, including without limitation information 33
regarding: 34
(1) The mental well -being of the mother; 35
(2) Access to follow -up healthcare; 36 HB1869
5 03/19/2025 5:22:56 PM JMB578
(3) Lactation or feeding concerns; 1
(4) Healthy sleep for infants; and 2
(5) Screening for certain medical conditions. 3
(c) The call center under this section shall provide connections 4
directly to resources to support mothers identified as needing follow -up 5
information. 6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36