[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 332 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 332
Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17,
2025, as the eighth annual ``Black Maternal Health Week'', founded by
Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), to bring national attention
to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and
the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black
women and birthing people.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 14, 2025
Ms. Adams (for herself, Ms. Underwood, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Bishop, Ms.
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Torres of New York, Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. Watson
Coleman, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Jackson
of Illinois, Mr. Mrvan, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Morelle, Ms. Omar, Ms. Moore
of Wisconsin, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Krishnamoorthi,
Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Khanna, Mr.
Gottheimer, Mr. Meeks, Mrs. Foushee, Mrs. Sykes, Mr. Connolly, Ms.
Pressley, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Brown, Ms. Norton, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Lee of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Bell, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Williams of
Georgia, Ms. Sanchez, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Wilson of Florida,
Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms.
Garcia of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr.
Kennedy of New York, and Mr. Thanedar) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17,
2025, as the eighth annual ``Black Maternal Health Week'', founded by
Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), to bring national attention
to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and
the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black
women and birthing people.
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black
women in the United States are 2-3 times more likely than White women to
die from pregnancy-related causes;
Whereas Black women and people living in low-income and rural communities in the
United States suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications,
known as ``maternal morbidities'', twice as often as White women;
Whereas the maternal mortality rate in the United States--
(1) is among the highest in the developed world; and
(2) was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, 32.9 in 2021, 22.3
in 2022, and 18.6 in 2023;
Whereas the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent
countries, driven in part by systemic inequities in health care that
disproportionately and unjustly affect Black women;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023,
the United States maternal mortality rate decreased for White (14.5),
Hispanic (12.4), and Asian (10.7) women but increased to 50.3 deaths per
100,000 live births for Black women;
Whereas Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other women to give
birth to premature and low birth weight infants;
Whereas the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across--
(1) income levels;
(2) education levels; and
(3) socioeconomic status;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 80
percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are
preventable;
Whereas the leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing
people include obstetric embolism, obstetric hemorrhage, eclampsia and
preeclampsia, and postpartum cardiomyopathy, and these conditions impact
Black women and birthing people disproportionately;
Whereas Black mothers have the highest rate of cesarean section deliveries;
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 right to reproductive health care and bodily
autonomy and further perpetuates reproductive oppression as a tool to
control women's bodies;
Whereas a fair and wide distribution of economic resources and birth options,
especially regarding reproductive health care services and maternal
health programming, including prenatal, postpartum, family planning, and
education programs, is critical to addressing inequities 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 systemic,
structural, economic, and legal barriers to licensure, reimbursement,
and provision of care;
Whereas Black women and birthing people experience increased structural and
financial barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care, including
maternal mental health 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 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 Black pregnant women have historically low rates of vaccinations, which
is associated with higher disparities in maternal health outcomes;
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 such as
miscarriage;
Whereas Black women and birthing people experience pervasive racial injustice in
the criminal justice, social, and health care systems;
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 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 at least 1 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: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes that--
(1) Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate
rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States;
(2) the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality among
Black women are unacceptable and unjust;
(3) in order to better mitigate the effects of systemic and
structural racism, Congress must work toward ensuring that the
Black community has--
(A) safe and affordable housing;
(B) transportation equity;
(C) nutritious food;
(D) clean air and water;
(E) environments free from toxins;
(F) decriminalization, removal of civil penalties,
end of surveillance, and end of mandatory reporting
within the criminal and family regulation system;
(G) safety and freedom from violence, especially
violence perpetrated by government actors;
(H) a living wage;
(I) equal economic opportunity;
(J) a sustained and expansive workforce pipeline
for diverse perinatal professionals; and
(K) comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable
health care including access to the full spectrum of
reproductive care;
(4) 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 maternal health inequities;
(5) Black women and birthing people must be active
participants in the policy decisions that impact their lives;
(6) 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 other
legislation rooted in human rights that seek to improve
maternal care and outcomes; and
(7) ``Black Maternal Health Week'' is an opportunity to--
(A) deepen the national conversation about Black
maternal health in the United States;
(B) amplify and invest in community-driven policy,
research, and quality care solutions;
(C) center the voices of Black Mamas Matter
Alliance, inc., women, families, and stakeholders;
(D) provide a national platform for Black-led
entities and efforts on maternal and mental health,
birth equity, and reproductive justice;
(E) enhance community organizing on Black maternal
health; and
(F) support efforts to increase funding and advance
policies for Black-led and centered community-based
organizations and perinatal birth workers that provide
the full spectrum of reproductive, maternal, and sexual
health care.
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