Proposal to study maternal deaths in Georgia would keep much of work private
A bill passed by a Senate panel Thursday would create a new public health panel to study maternal deaths in Georgia — and keep much of the work shielded from public eyes.
Senate Bill 273 seeks to establish a Maternal Mortality Review Committee through the Department of Public Health.
Although Georgia currently has the highest rate of all states in the deaths of women during pregnancy or childbirth, the number is believed to be underreported. According to the bill, which is sponsored by state Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, who is also a doctor, the state doesn’t have a comprehensive way to investigate or collect information on the issue.
While federal law protects patient privacy, the bill mandates that all proceedings and activities of the committee as a whole be exempted from Georgia’s open records and open meetings laws.
Only general reports would be made public.
With passage by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, SB 273 now heads to the chamber’s Rules Committee for consideration on whether it will receive a vote on the Senate floor.
