Resolve, to Establish the Task Force to Study Equitable Access to Maternal Health Care and Birthing Facilities

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1028
S.P. 446 In Senate, March 13, 2025
Resolve, to Establish the Task Force to Study Equitable Access to
Maternal Health Care and Birthing Facilities
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 12, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative BOYER of Cape Elizabeth and
Senators: BRENNER of Cumberland, CARNEY of Cumberland, INGWERSEN of York,
MOORE of Washington, Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, DAIGLE of Fort Kent,
JAVNER of Chester, ZAGER of Portland.

Page 1 - 132LR2172(01)
1Sec. 1. Task force established. Resolved: That the Task Force to Study Equitable
2 Access to Maternal Health Care and Birthing Facilities, referred to in this resolve as "the
3 task force," is established.
4Sec. 2. Task force membership. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule
5 353, the task force consists of 13 members as follows:
6 1. Two members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, including
7 one member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the
8 Legislature;
9 2. Two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the
10 House, including one member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats
11 in the Legislature;
12 3. Four members appointed by the President of the Senate as follows:
13 A. One member with expertise in obstetrics and gynecology;
14 B. One member with expertise in certified nurse midwifery;
15 C. One member representing the State's perinatal quality of care system; and
16 D. One member representing the division governing maternal and child health services
17 within the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease
18 Control and Prevention;
19 4. Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House as follows:
20 A. One member with expertise in rural health care delivery;
21 B. One member with expertise in independent birthing centers;
22 C. One member representing an association of hospitals; and
23 D. One member representing a federally qualified health center in the State; and
24 5. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services or the commissioner's designee.
25 In making appointments under this section, the appointing authorities shall give
26 consideration to the unique needs of rural populations.
27 The chairs under section 3 may appoint as nonvoting members of the task force persons
28 with expertise in obstetrics and perinatal health.
29Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate chair
30 and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the task force.
31Sec. 4. Appointments; convening of task force. Resolved: That all
32 appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this
33 resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative
34 Council once all appointments have been completed. After appointment of all members,
35 the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the task force. If 30 days or more after
36 the effective date of this resolve a majority of but not all appointments have been made, the
37 chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the task
38 force to meet and conduct its business.
Page 2 - 132LR2172(01)
1Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the task force shall compile and analyze information
2 from existing published reports on:
3 1. Past essential services closures of maternal health care units, including inpatient
4 maternity units, acute-care birthing units and preventive maternal health care centers, and
5 centers providing family planning services, obstetrics and gynecology services and
6 midwifery services;
7 2. Patient quality of care and safety considerations of essential services closures of
8 maternal health care units, including rules concerning quality, safety and staffing adopted
9 by the Department of Health and Human Services that inform acute maternal health care
10 essential services closures;
11 3. Demographic information on populations of patients whose access to maternal
12 health care services has been most affected by past closures or current availability
13 limitations, including, but not limited to, geographical location; type of insurance coverage;
14 age; race; ethnicity; income; status as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
15 queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and other allied communities; and immigration status;
16 4. The current availability of and access to maternal health care services across regions
17 of the State and among birthing center patient populations, including the essential services
18 closure process and the capacity of the maternal health care workforce; and
19 5. Methods to increase the financial investment in and patient access to maternal health
20 care services across the State and ensure equitable access for the most vulnerable birthing
21 center patient populations.
22Sec. 6. Staff assistance. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the
23 Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the task force, except that
24 Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the Legislature is in regular or
25 special session.
26Sec. 7. Report. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, no later than
27 January 6, 2026, the task force shall submit a report that includes its findings and
28 recommendations, including suggested legislation, for presentation to the Joint Standing
29 Committee on Health and Human Services. The Joint Standing Committee on Health and
30 Human Services is authorized to report out legislation related to the report to the Second
31 Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
32SUMMARY
33 This resolve establishes the Task Force to Study Equitable Access to Maternal Health
34 Care and Birthing Facilities, which is directed to study past closures of maternal health care
35 centers in the State, the current availability of access to maternal health care services in the
36 State and methods to increase patient access to maternal health care services, including
37 equitable access for vulnerable populations. The task force is required to submit a report
38 and suggested legislation by January 6, 2026 to the Joint Standing Committee on Health
39 and Human Services, which is authorized to report out legislation based on the report to
40 the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature.
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