June 27, 2018 - 3:46pm | By Chris Larson
A United States Senate Committee passed a bill from North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp and West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito that will help examine and combat the rising maternal mortality crisis in the United States. Across the country, maternal mortality rates increased by 26 percent from 2000 to 2014. The bill would increase on-the-ground resources by expanding maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs), which look at and address the causes of maternal death cases, along with work to increase the number of safe and successful pregnancies. North Dakota does not have an MMRC.