SACRAMENTO, CA –Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) issued the following statement today after her bill, SB 492—the Maternal Outcome Measures “M.O.M.” Act—was approved by the Senate Health Committee on a bipartisan 11-0 vote:

“The broken windows and faded red bricks of the former hospital that stood on Kings Canyon Road in Fresno represents the story of a broken healthcare system in one of California’s poorest communities, and pregnant women who have become victims to it,” said Senator Hurtado.  “While health inequities, especially the lack of healthcare providers or access to hospitals, play a great role in the health outcomes of patients in this region, we must do better at protecting pregnant women. We must be intentional with our resources, but we cannot be intentional without the adequate data. The M.O.M Act, Senate Bill 492, will do just that.”

“My personal experience having a prolonged labor and feeling like my voice was not recognized, as well as hearing stories of women with similar experiences, has led me to question what we, as a state and as a healthcare system, can do to improve patient outcomes,” said Alex Gallardo-Rooker, Vice Chair, California Democratic Party. “I support the M.O.M Act because I believe it will provide much needed data regarding maternal mortality to help California prevent future deaths.”   

“The data that SB 492 will collect is crucial to supporting the maternal health and well-being of women in California,” said Arleana Waller, Founder, MLKcommUNITY Initiative and ShePower. “There has not been a report written on Black Women Wellness in California in 30 years; the estimated national maternal mortality rate is 43 per 100,000 Black women. By understanding the full scope of issues that women of color experience, our state can enact policies to protect pregnant women and prevent unnecessary deaths.”

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is charged with tracking maternal deaths associated with certain health conditions; obstetric hemorrhage, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia, venous thromboembolism, sepsis, cerebrovascular accident, and amniotic fluid embolism.  CDPH is required to report this data every 3 years. Currently, potential structural co-factors in pregnancy-related deaths are not being tracked, to include whether an individual who died had commercial or Medi-Cal coverage, their access to healthcare services, or whether their employment played a role in death. Policymakers currently lack the full picture relative to negative outcomes in maternal care.

The M.OM. Act will require the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to conduct additional tracking including: various patient demographics, access to healthcare and insurance coverage. It also requires CDPH to review pertinent records, medical or hospital records, death certificates and medical examiner reports in their efforts to track data.

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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