Bill > H3112

This joint resolution establishes a 13-member study committee to comprehensively examine maternal mortality rates among non-Hispanic Black women in South Carolina, with a particular focus on understanding the significant disparities in maternal health outcomes. The committee will be composed of diverse healthcare professionals, including hospital administrators, obstetricians, nurses, midwives, mental health experts, and public health specialists, who will be appointed by various state legislative leaders and government officials. The committee's primary objectives include analyzing maternal mortality data by race and ethnicity, identifying statistically significant differences in mortality rates, exploring underlying causes of these disparities, and developing recommendations for legislative or policy changes to reduce maternal mortality rates. Notably, the resolution highlights the stark maternal health crisis, including that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, and that Black women experience mortality rates three to four times higher than other racial groups. The study committee is required to submit a comprehensive report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2026, after which the committee will be dissolved, with the ultimate goal of addressing and reducing maternal mortality rates in the state.

Health and Social Services

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3112&session=126&summary=B