Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 868 of the Regular Session
*JMB578* 04-07-2025 10:25:54 JMB578
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/7/25 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 intent. 26
It is the intent of this subchapter to establish a comprehensive 27
statewide system of care addressing maternal health by organizing resources, 28
educating providers and patients, incentivizing best practices, and 29
collecting critical data to drive improvement. 30
31
20-16-2602. Maternal Outcomes Management System. 32
(a) The Department of Health shall create a comprehensive statewide 33
system of care addressing maternal health to be called the "Maternal Outcomes 34
Management System". 35
(b) The Maternal Outcomes Management System shall without limitation: 36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 HB1869
2 04-07-2025 10:25:54 JMB578
(1)(A) Research and organize maternal health resources. 1
(B) The Department of Health, in conjunction with other 2
state agencies as appropriate, shall maintain on the website of the 3
Department of Health resources pertaining to maternal health including 4
without limitation information regarding: 5
(i) Enrollment in the Arkansas Medicaid Program; 6
(ii) Lactation education; 7
(iii) Provider access; 8
(iv) Transportation resources; 9
(v) Maternal health education; and 10
(vi) Local community support services; 11
(2) Provide education to patients and clinicians regarding 12
maternal health issues; 13
(3) Incentivize best practices for maternal health through the 14
grant program described in § 20 -16-2603; 15
(4) In conjunction with the Arkansas Hospital Association, the 16
Department of Human Services, and the Department of Health, collect data 17
concerning maternal health from birthing and delivery hospitals to promote 18
best practices and to identify opportunities for improvement in maternal 19
health care; 20
(5) Develop a platform for structured peer review; and 21
(6) Coordinate care through the continuum of services needed to 22
ensure the best maternal health outcomes. 23
(c) The activities of the Maternal Outcomes Management System under 24
this section and the additional requirements under this subchapter are 25
contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funding. 26
27
20-16-2603. Grants for birthing and delivery hospitals — Designation 28
system. 29
(a)(1) As part of the Maternal Outcomes Management System, the 30
Department of Health shall establish a grant program for birthing and 31
delivery hospitals that includes a designation system for birthing and 32
delivery hospitals based on the individual hospital's capability to provide 33
clinical care for pregnant women. 34
(2) The department shall: 35
(A) Accept applications from birthing and delivery 36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 HB1869
3 04-07-2025 10:25:54 JMB578
hospitals to participate in the grant program under subdivision (a)(1) of 1
this section; 2
(B) Determine conditions for designation in the grant 3
program under subdivision (a)(1) of this section; and 4
(C) Set the time frame for review and renewal of the 5
applications under subdivision (a)(2)(A) of this section. 6
(3) The designation system for birthing and delivery hospitals 7
described in subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall: 8
(A) Be in accordance with the levels of maternal care from 9
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as existing on 10
January 1, 2025; and 11
(B) Evaluate the capabilities of a hospital to deliver 12
high-quality maternity care and ensure that all mothers receive the 13
appropriate level of care. 14
(4) The birthing and delivery hospitals under subdivision (a)(1) 15
of this section shall be organized into the appropriate hospital regions to 16
meet regularly as determined by the department to discuss maternal health 17
data and to provide a forum for regional peer review and performance feedback 18
to and from the department and the birthing and delivery hospitals. 19
(b) To qualify for a grant under the grant program established under 20
subsection (a) of this section, a birthing and delivery hospital shall meet 21
requirements set by the department including without limitation: 22
(1) Community outreach and education; 23
(2) Clinician education on maternal health; 24
(3) Peer review of all birthing and delivery complications; 25
(4) Participation in regional meetings of birthing and delivery 26
hospitals; 27
(5) An on-site maternal health coordinator; 28
(6) Local site visits from inspectors of the department; and 29
(7) Achievement of certain clinical metrics consistent with 30
evidence-based practices proven to improve maternal health outcomes. 31
(c) A grant under this section shall be distributed in a manner that 32
provides the greatest financial support to birthing and delivery hospitals 33
with the fewest resources. 34
(d) The department may promulgate rules to implement this section. 35
36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 HB1869
4 04-07-2025 10:25:54 JMB578
20-16-2604. MOMS Care Connect — Coordinating call center. 1
The Department of Health shall establish a call center to be called the 2
"MOMS Care Connect" to operate in conjunction with the Arkansas Trauma Call 3
Center and to coordinate transfers of pregnant women between hospitals to 4
ensure an appropriate level of care is provided. 5
6
20-16-2605. Postpartum Support Hotline — Post-delivery call center. 7
(a)(1) The Department of Health shall establish a call center to be 8
called the "Postpartum Support Hotline" to proactively reach out to mothers 9
post-delivery. 10
(2) The call center established in this section shall be 11
separate from MOMS Care Connect established under § 20 -16-2604. 12
(3) The department may partner with another state entity or an 13
institution of higher education to establish the call center established in 14
this section. 15
(b) The call center under this section shall screen mothers through a 16
standardized questionnaire developed by the department to determine which 17
mothers need follow-up information, including without limitation information 18
regarding: 19
(1) The mental well -being of the mother; 20
(2) Access to follow -up healthcare; 21
(3) Lactation or feeding concerns; 22
(4) Healthy sleep for infants; and 23
(5) Screening for certain medical conditions. 24
(c) The call center under this section shall provide connections 25
directly to resources to support mothers identified as needing follow -up 26
information. 27
28
/s/L. Johnson 29
30
31
APPROVED: 4/17/25 32
33
34
35
36