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The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act: What It Does
Understand the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018, maternal mortality review committees, and current federal reauthorization efforts.
Updated July 14, 2026
Legislative information reviewed 2026-07-14. This page provides public education, not legal advice.
The 2018 law
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018 became Public Law 115-344 on December 21, 2018. It amended the Public Health Service Act to strengthen federal support for state and tribal work to identify, review, and prevent pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths and address disparities.
Maternal mortality review committees
Maternal mortality review committees, or MMRCs, are multidisciplinary groups that review deaths during pregnancy and within one year afterward. Membership can include public-health officials, clinicians, nurses, midwives, epidemiologists, behavioral-health experts, patient advocates, and community organizations.
The review looks across clinical care, facilities, systems, communities, and social conditions to identify prevention opportunities. It is a public-health surveillance function, not a substitute for hospital peer review, a malpractice determination, or a criminal investigation.
What the law supports
- More consistent identification and review of maternal deaths.
- Confidential reporting and information access.
- Recommendations to improve care and reduce preventable deaths.
- Better surveillance, research, and public education.
- Attention to populations experiencing disproportionate mortality and severe complications.
Implementation today
CDC’s ERASE MM program supports MMRC work in 46 states and six U.S. territories and freely associated states. Committees use standardized review tools and translate findings into recommendations for health systems, agencies, professionals, and communities.
Reauthorization
Congress has considered legislation in the 119th Congress to reauthorize support for state-based MMRCs and expand dissemination of prevention practices. Because legislative status can change, use the official tracker below for the latest action.
How advocates can help
Ask elected officials how they will sustain MMRC funding, ensure community representation, publish actionable findings, protect confidential review, and require agencies and health systems to respond to prevention recommendations.
Primary sources
Safety note
This tool is educational only. For urgent symptoms or emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.