HB1440 Summary

• Establishes a Maternal Mortality Review Committee within the Arkansas Department of Health to review pregnancy-associated deaths up to 365 days after pregnancy and develop prevention strategies.

• Committee shall review medical records, identify contributing factors, contact family members, consult experts, make preventability determinations, and develop recommendations for public health and clinical interventions.

• Healthcare providers, facilities, and pharmacies must provide reasonable access to medical records for case reviews and are protected from civil and criminal liability for good faith record provision.

• All committee proceedings, records, reports, and member opinions are confidential, not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, and not admissible as evidence in court proceedings; committee members are immune from civil and criminal liability.

• Committee must file annual written reports by December 31 to the Senate Public Health Committee, House Public Health Committee, and Legislative Council containing findings, recommendations, and aggregate data only—without identifying specific facilities or providers.