[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1153 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1153
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17,
2024, as the seventh annual ``Black Maternal Health Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 17, 2024
Ms. Adams (for herself, Ms. Underwood, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr.
Horsford, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Hoyer, Mr.
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Torres of New York, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr.
Tonko, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Allred,
Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Kim of New Jersey, Mr.
Morelle, Mr. Carson, Ms. Slotkin, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr.
McGarvey, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pressley, Mr.
Veasey, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Torres of California, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Garcia
of Texas, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, and Mr. Payne) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17,
2024, as the seventh annual ``Black Maternal Health Week''.
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black
women in the United States are two to three times more likely than White
women to die from pregnancy-related causes;
Whereas Black women in the United States suffer from life-threatening pregnancy
complications, known as ``maternal morbidities'', twice as often as
White women;
Whereas maternal mortality rates in the United States are--
(1) among the highest in the developed world; and
(2) increasing rapidly, from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in
2018, to 20.1 in 2019, 23.8 in 2020, and 32.9 in 2021;
Whereas the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent
countries, in part because of the disproportionate mortality rate of
Black women;
Whereas Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other women to deliver
prematurely;
Whereas the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across--
(1) income levels;
(2) education levels; and
(3) socioeconomic status;
Whereas structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of
health inequities experienced by Black women in the United States
significantly contribute to the disproportionately high rates of
maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women;
Whereas racism and discrimination play a consequential role in maternal health
care experiences and outcomes of Black birthing people;
Whereas the overturn of Roe v. Wade, (410 U.S. 113 (1973)) impacts Black women
and birthing people's access to reproductive health care, and right to
bodily autonomy, and further perpetuates reproductive oppression as a
tool to control women's body;
Whereas a fair and wide distribution of resources and birth options, especially
regarding reproductive health care services and maternal health
programming, is critical to closing the racial gap in maternal health
outcomes;
Whereas, communities of color are disproportionately affected by maternity care
deserts, where there are no or limited hospitals or birth centers
offering obstetric care and no or limited obstetric providers, and have
diminishing access to reproductive health care due to low Medicaid
reimbursements, rising costs, and ongoing staff shortages;
Whereas Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers, and community-based
organizations provide holistic maternal health care, but face structural
and legal barriers to licensure, reimbursement, and provision of care;
Whereas COVID-19, which has disproportionately harmed Black Americans, is
associated with an increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes and
maternal and neonatal complications;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted issues within the broken
health care system in the United States and the harm of that system to
Black women and birthing people by exposing--
(1) increased barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care,
including maternal mental health care;
(2) lack of uniform hospital policies permitting doulas and support
persons to be present during labor and delivery;
(3) inconsistent hospital policies regarding the separation of the
newborn from a mother that is suspected positive for COVID-19;
(4) complexities in COVID-19 vaccine drug trials including pregnant
people;
(5) increased rates of Cesarean section deliveries;
(6) shortened hospital stays following delivery;
(7) provider shortages and lack of sufficient policies to allow home
births attended by midwives;
(8) insufficient practical support for delivery of care by midwives,
including telehealth access;
(9) the adverse economic impact on Black mothers and families due to
job loss or reduction in income during quarantine and the pandemic
recession; and
(10) pervasive racial injustice against Black people in the criminal
justice, social, and health care systems;
Whereas new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
indicated that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the maternal mortality rate
for Black women has increased by 26 percent;
Whereas, even as there is growing concern about improving access to mental
health services, Black women are least likely to have access to mental
health screenings, treatment, and support before, during, and after
pregnancy;
Whereas Black pregnant and postpartum workers are disproportionately denied
reasonable accommodations in the workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy
outcomes;
Whereas Black pregnant people disproportionately experience surveillance and
punishment, including shackling incarcerated people in labor, drug
testing mothers and infants without informed consent, separating mothers
from their newborns, and criminalizing pregnancy outcomes;
Whereas justice-informed, culturally congruent models of care are beneficial to
Black women; and
Whereas an investment must be made in--
(1) maternity care for Black women and birthing people, including
support of care led by the communities most affected by the maternal health
crisis in the United States;
(2) continuous health insurance coverage to support Black women and
birthing people for the full postpartum period up to at least one year
after giving birth; and
(3) policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive, and
holistic maternal health care that is free from gender and racial
discrimination, regardless of incarceration; and
Whereas ``Black Maternal Health Week'' was founded in 2018, and led by Black
Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), to bring national attention to the
maternal and reproductive health care crisis in the United States and
the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black
women and birthing people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
(1) the seventh annual ``Black Maternal Health Week''; and
(2) that--
(A) Black women are experiencing high,
disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and
morbidity in the United States;
(B) the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality
among Black women are unacceptable;
(C) in order to better mitigate the effects of
systemic and structural racism, Congress must work
toward ensuring that--
(i) the Black community has--
(I) safe and affordable housing;
(II) transportation equity;
(III) nutritious food;
(IV) clean air and water;
(V) environments free from toxins;
(VI) safety and freedom from
violence;
(VII) a living wage;
(VIII) equal economic opportunity;
(IX) a sustained and expansive
workforce pipeline for diverse
perinatal professionals; and
(X) comprehensive, high-quality,
and affordable health care with access
to the full spectrum of reproductive
care; and
(ii) reform of the criminal justice and
family regulation systems to decriminalize
pregnancy outcomes, remove civil penalties, end
surveillance of families, and end mandatory
reporting within the system;
(D) in order to improve maternal health outcomes,
Congress must fully support and encourage policies
grounded in the human rights, reproductive justice, and
birth justice frameworks that address Black maternal
health inequity;
(E) Black women and birthing people must be active
participants in the policy decisions that impact their
lives;
(F) in order to ensure access to safe and
respectful maternal health care for Black birthing
people, Congress must pass the Black Maternal Health
Momnibus Act; and
(G) ``Black Maternal Health Week'' is an
opportunity--
(i) to deepen the national conversation
about Black maternal health in the United
States;
(ii) to amplify and invest in community-
driven policy, research, and quality care
solutions;
(iii) to center the voices of Black Mamas,
women, families, and stakeholders;
(iv) to provide a national platform for
Black-led entities and efforts on maternal and
mental health, birth, and reproductive justice;
(v) to enhance community organizing on
Black maternal health; and
(vi) to support efforts to increase
funding, and advance policies for Black-led and
centered, community-based organizations, and
perinatal birth workers that provide full
spectrum reproductive, maternal, and sexual
health care.
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