[House Report 117-286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2nd Session } { 117-286
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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.
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\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.
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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\
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\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.
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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]