[House Report 117-286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress }                                          { Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2nd Session   }                                          { 117-286

======================================================================
 
                  DATA MAPPING TO SAVE MOMS' LIVES ACT

                                _______
                                

 March 31, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Pallone, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1218]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 1218) to require the Federal Communications 
Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into 
its broadband health maps, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the 
bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
   I. Purpose and Summary.............................................2
  II. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................2
 III. Committee Hearings..............................................2
  IV. Committee Consideration.........................................3
   V. Committee Votes.................................................3
  VI. Oversight Findings..............................................3
 VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditure3
VIII. Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................4
  IX. Federal Mandates Statement......................................5
   X. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives...........5
  XI. Duplication of Federal Programs.................................5
 XII. Committee Cost Estimate.........................................5
XIII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits.....5
 XIV. Advisory Committee Statement....................................5
  XV. Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................5
 XVI. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation..................6
XVII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported...........6

    The amendment is as follows:
      Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MAPPING BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES.

  (a) Incorporation of Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity 
Data.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall incorporate publicly 
available data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, 
including for not less than 1 year postpartum, into the Mapping 
Broadband Health in America platform of the Commission.
  (b) Consultation With CDC.--The Federal Communications Commission 
shall consult with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention regarding the maternal mortality and severe maternal 
morbidity data that should be incorporated under subsection (a).

                         I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    H.R. 1218 requires the Federal Communications Commission 
(FCC) to, within 180 days, incorporate publicly available 
information on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity 
into the FCC's Mapping Broadband Health in America (MBHA) 
platform, to identify areas where a lack of communications 
connectivity may be a barrier to positive maternal health 
outcomes. The bill requires the FCC to consult with the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the data the FCC 
should incorporate into the MBHA platform.

                II. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The maternal mortality rate in the United States continues 
to rise each year, with over 700 deaths of women as recently as 
2019.\1\ The issue is particularly acute for Black women, as 
the rate of mortality for Black women is 2.5 times higher than 
that of white women, and 3.5 times higher than that of Hispanic 
women.\2\ While no causal link between broadband access and 
maternal mortality has been proven, understanding where 
broadband is available may inform the discussion on how to 
lower maternal mortality rates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\National Center for Health Statistics, Maternal Mortality Rates 
in the United States, 2019, (Apr. 2021) (www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/
maternal-mortality-2021/E-Stat-Maternal-Mortality-Rates-H.pdf).
    \2\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The MBHA platform was created as an outgrowth of the FCC's 
Connect2HealthFCC Task Force.\3\ It is intended to ``enable 
data-driven decision making at the intersection of broadband 
and health.''\4\ The maps are available to the public as well 
as private stakeholders and may be used to help direct 
resources to areas with ``overlapping broadband and health 
needs.''\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\Federal Communications Commission, Mapping Broadband Health in 
America, Frequently Asked Questions (www.fcc.gov/health/maps/faq) 
(accessed March 2, 2022).
    \4\Id.
    \5\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        III. COMMITTEE HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the following hearings were 
used to develop or consider H.R. 1218:
    The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on October 6, 
2021, entitled ``Strengthening Our Communications Networks to 
Meet the Needs of Consumers.'' The Subcommittee received 
testimony from the following witnesses:
           John Fogle, Council Member, City of Loveland 
        Colorado, National League of Cities Information 
        Technology and Communications Committee;
           Cheryl A. Leanza, Policy Advisor, United 
        Church of Christ, Office of Communications, Inc.;
           Tim Donovan, Senior Vice President, 
        Legislative Affairs, Competitive Carriers Association; 
        and
           Todd Brandenburg, President and Chief 
        Executive Officer, PocketiNet.

                      IV. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    Representatives G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Gus Bilirakis (R-
FL) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced H.R. 1218, the 
``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act,'' on February 23, 2021, 
and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
Subsequently, on February 24, 2021, H.R. 1218 was referred to 
the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. A 
legislative hearing was held on the bill on October 6, 2021.
    On November 3, 2021, the Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology met in open markup session, pursuant to notice, to 
consider H.R. 1218 and one other bill. During consideration of 
the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute (AINS) 
offered by Representative Butterfield was agreed to by a voice 
vote. Upon conclusion of consideration of the bill, the 
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology agreed to report 
the bill favorably to the full Committee, amended, by a voice 
vote.
    On November 17, 2021, the full Committee met in open markup 
session, pursuant to notice, to consider H.R. 1218 and 11 other 
bills. No amendments were offered during consideration of the 
bill. Upon conclusion of consideration of the bill, the full 
Committee agreed to a motion on final passage offered by 
Representative Pallone (D-NJ), Chairman of the Committee, to 
order H.R. 1218 reported favorably to the House, as amended, by 
a voice vote.

                           V. COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The 
Committee advises that there were no record votes taken on H.R. 
1218.

                         VI. OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee are 
reflected in the descriptive portion of the report.

 VII. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Pursuant to 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the 
estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax 
expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974.

               VIII. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, March 4, 2022.
Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1218, the Data 
Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is David Hughes.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 1218 would require the Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC) to incorporate data on maternal health 
outcomes into its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform.
    Using information about the cost of broadband mapping, CBO 
estimates that it would cost the FCC less than $500,000 to 
update its broadband health maps to incorporate maternal health 
outcomes. However, because the FCC is authorized to collect 
fees each year sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of 
its regulatory activities, CBO estimates that the net cost to 
the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions 
consistent with that authority.
    If the FCC increases annual fee collections to offset the 
costs of implementing provisions in the bill, H.R. 1218 would 
increase the cost of an existing private-sector mandate on 
entities required to pay those fees. CBO estimates that the 
incremental cost of the mandate would be small and would fall 
well below the annual threshold established in the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) for private-sector mandates ($170 
million in 2021, adjusted annually for inflation).
    The bill contains no intergovernmental mandates.
    On June 14, 2021, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
198, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act, as ordered 
reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation on April 28, 2021. H.R. 1218 is similar to S. 
198, and CBO estimates implementing either bill would cost less 
than $500,000.
    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are David Hughes 
(for federal costs) and Rachel Austin (for mandates). The 
estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director 
of Budget Analysis.

                     IX. FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

        X. STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general 
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to require 
the FCC to incorporate existing data on maternal health 
outcomes into its broadband health maps which may inform ways 
to decrease maternal mortality and severe morbidity outcomes, 
particularly for vulnerable populations.

                  XI. DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of 
H.R. 1218 is known to be duplicative of another Federal 
program, including any program that was included in a report to 
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the 
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                      XII. COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

   XIII. EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS

    Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 
Committee finds that H.R. 1218 contains no earmarks, limited 
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.

                   XIV. ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this 
legislation.

                XV. APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

          XVI. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 designates that the short title may be cited as 
the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.''

Sec. 2. Mapping broadband connectivity and maternal health outcomes

    Section 2 requires the FCC to incorporate publicly 
available data regarding maternal mortality and severe maternal 
morbidity for not less than one year postpartum, into the 
Agency's Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. The 
section also requires the FCC to consult with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention regarding the maternal mortality 
and severe maternal morbidity data the FCC should use.

      XVII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    There were no changes made in existing law by H.R. 1218, as 
reported.

                                  [all]