Mississippi Maternal Health Protection Act; enact.

SB 2542, the Mississippi Maternal Health Protection Act, died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted. If passed, it would have required public health programs to provide 12 months of postpartum care (including mental health and substance use treatment) and mandated hospitals to adopt evidence-based safety protocols for hemorrhage, hypertension, and emergency transport. The bill also required facilities to report maternal health data, establish a Maternal Mortality Review Committee to identify systemic causes of deaths, and create a transportation fund for rural emergencies. It directly aimed to improve maternal health outcomes for mothers in Mississippi, particularly in rural and low-income communities facing limited access to care.