diff --git a/backend/src/api/helpers.ts b/backend/src/api/helpers.ts
index acc6627f..f3ce9672 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/helpers.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/helpers.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,67 @@ import { SES } from 'aws-sdk';
 import * as nodemailer from 'nodemailer';
 import * as handlebars from 'handlebars';
 
+export const REGION_STATE_MAP = {
+  Alabama: '4',
+  Alaska: '10',
+  'American Samoa': '9',
+  Arkansas: '6',
+  Arizona: '9',
+  California: '9',
+  Colorado: '8',
+  'Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands': '9',
+  Connecticut: '1',
+  Delaware: '3',
+  'District of Columbia': '3',
+  'Federal States of Micronesia': '9',
+  Florida: '4',
+  Georgia: '4',
+  Guam: '9',
+  Hawaii: '9',
+  Idaho: '10',
+  Illinois: '5',
+  Indiana: '5',
+  Iowa: '7',
+  Kansas: '7',
+  Kentucky: '4',
+  Louisiana: '6',
+  Maine: '1',
+  Maryland: '3',
+  Massachusetts: '1',
+  Michigan: '5',
+  Minnesota: '5',
+  Mississippi: '4',
+  Missouri: '7',
+  Montana: '8',
+  Nebraska: '7',
+  Nevada: '9',
+  'New Hampshire': '1',
+  'New Jersey': '2',
+  'New Mexico': '6',
+  'New York': '2',
+  'North Carolina': '4',
+  'North Dakota': '8',
+  Ohio: '5',
+  Oklahoma: '6',
+  Oregon: '10',
+  Pennsylvania: '3',
+  'Puerto Rico': '2',
+  'Republic of Marshall Islands': '9',
+  'Rhode Island': '1',
+  'South Carolina': '4',
+  'South Dakota': '8',
+  Tennessee: '4',
+  Texas: '6',
+  Utah: '8',
+  Vermont: '1',
+  'Virgin Islands': '2',
+  Virginia: '3',
+  Washington: '10',
+  'West Virginia': '3',
+  Wisconsin: '5',
+  Wyoming: '8'
+};
+
 export const validateBody = async <T>(
   obj: ClassType<T>,
   body: string | null,
diff --git a/backend/src/api/users.ts b/backend/src/api/users.ts
index 15ea784c..ccc4a36c 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/users.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/users.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   wrapHandler,
   NotFound,
   Unauthorized,
+  REGION_STATE_MAP,
   sendEmail,
   sendUserRegistrationEmail,
   sendRegistrationApprovedEmail,
@@ -146,67 +147,6 @@ class UpdateUser {
   role: string;
 }
 
-const REGION_STATE_MAP = {
-  Connecticut: '1',
-  Maine: '1',
-  Massachusetts: '1',
-  'New Hampshire': '1',
-  'Rhode Island': '1',
-  Vermont: '1',
-  'New Jersey': '2',
-  'New York': '2',
-  'Puerto Rico': '2',
-  'Virgin Islands': '2',
-  Delaware: '3',
-  Maryland: '3',
-  Pennsylvania: '3',
-  Virginia: '3',
-  'District of Columbia': '3',
-  'West Virginia': '3',
-  Alabama: '4',
-  Florida: '4',
-  Georgia: '4',
-  Kentucky: '4',
-  Mississippi: '4',
-  'North Carolina': '4',
-  'South Carolina': '4',
-  Tennessee: '4',
-  Illinois: '5',
-  Indiana: '5',
-  Michigan: '5',
-  Minnesota: '5',
-  Ohio: '5',
-  Wisconsin: '5',
-  Arkansas: '6',
-  Louisiana: '6',
-  'New Mexico': '6',
-  Oklahoma: '6',
-  Texas: '6',
-  Iowa: '7',
-  Kansas: '7',
-  Missouri: '7',
-  Nebraska: '7',
-  Colorado: '8',
-  Montana: '8',
-  'North Dakota': '8',
-  'South Dakota': '8',
-  Utah: '8',
-  Wyoming: '8',
-  Arizona: '9',
-  California: '9',
-  Hawaii: '9',
-  Nevada: '9',
-  Guam: '9',
-  'American Samoa': '9',
-  'Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands': '9',
-  'Republic of Marshall Islands': '9',
-  'Federal States of Micronesia': '9',
-  Alaska: '10',
-  Idaho: '10',
-  Oregon: '10',
-  Washington: '10'
-};
-
 /**
  * @swagger
  *