(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (a) Colorado's maternal mortality rate nearly doubled between 2008 and 2013; (b) Maternal deaths affect women statewide and are more common among families living in rural areas than in urban centers and disproportionately high among black and African- American women compared to white women; (c) Eighty percent of maternal deaths in Colorado are considered preventable; (d) To review deaths in the pregnant and postpartum population requires a holistic view of the circumstances surrounding a death. National research indicates that high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease remain two leading causes of maternal deaths nationwide, while in Colorado behavioral health conditions and self-harm now account for the largest share of maternal deaths. (e) Evidence-based prevention strategies support the review of maternal deaths through state-based maternal mortality reviews in order to identify the systematic changes needed to decrease mortality among the pregnant and postpartum population; (f) The department has had an active and dedicated committee of volunteer professionals reviewing maternal deaths since 1993; however, the capacity of the committee is limited by a lack of protection, funding, and authority; (g) There is a need to establish a committee to review deaths among the pregnant and postpartum population and to recommend strategies to prevent these deaths and improve maternal health outcomes in Colorado; (h) The prevention of deaths among the pregnant and postpartum population is a community responsibility, and professionals from a variety of disciplines have expertise that can promote the safety and well-being of the pregnant and postpartum population; (i) Comprehensive and multidisciplinary reviews of maternal deaths can lead to a greater understanding of the causes of and methods for preventing these deaths and improve other maternal health outcomes including morbidity; (j) The protection of the health and welfare of the pregnant and postpartum population in this state is an important goal of the citizens of this state, and the rate of death among the pregnant and postpartum population is a serious public health concern that requires legislative action; (k) Forty-one states and the District of Columbia currently have statutorily created maternal mortality review committees; and (l) Therefore, it is the intent of the general assembly to establish a maternal mortality review committee within the department to review maternal deaths and to recommend strategies for the prevention of maternal mortality.
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