IV 

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; 


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Whereas Black women in the United States suffer from lifethreatening 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; 


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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; 


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(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— 


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(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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes— 

3 (1) the seventh annual ‘‘Black Maternal Health 

4 Week’’; and 

5 (2) that— 

6 (A) Black women are experiencing high, 

7 disproportionate rates of maternal mortality 

8 and morbidity in the United States; 

9 (B) the alarmingly high rates of maternal 

10 mortality among Black women are unaccept11 able; 


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1 (C) in order to better mitigate the effects 

2 of systemic and structural racism, Congress 

3 must work toward ensuring that— 

4 (i) the Black community has— 

5 (I) safe and affordable housing; 

6 (II) transportation equity; 

7 (III) nutritious food; 

8 (IV) clean air and water; 

9 (V) environments free from tox10 ins; 

11 (VI) safety and freedom from vi12 olence; 

13 (VII) a living wage; 

14 (VIII) equal economic oppor15 tunity; 

16 (IX) a sustained and expansive 

17 workforce pipeline for diverse 

18 perinatal professionals; and 

19 (X) comprehensive, high-quality, 

20 and affordable health care with access 

21 to the full spectrum of reproductive 

22 care; and 

23 (ii) reform of the criminal justice and 

24 family regulation systems to decriminalize 

25 pregnancy outcomes, remove civil penalties, 


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1 end surveillance of families, and end man2 datory reporting within the system; 

3 (D) in order to improve maternal health 

4 outcomes, Congress must fully support and en5 courage policies grounded in the human rights, 

6 reproductive justice, and birth justice frame7 works that address Black maternal health in8 equity; 

9 (E) Black women and birthing people must 

10 be active participants in the policy decisions 

11 that impact their lives; 

12 (F) in order to ensure access to safe and 

13 respectful maternal health care for Black birth14 ing people, Congress must pass the Black Ma15 ternal Health Momnibus Act; and 

16 (G) ‘‘Black Maternal Health Week’’ is an 

17 opportunity— 

18 (i) to deepen the national conversation 

19 about Black maternal health in the United 

20 States; 

21 (ii) to amplify and invest in commu22 nity-driven policy, research, and quality 

23 care solutions; 

24 (iii) to center the voices of Black 

25 Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders; 


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1 (iv) to provide a national platform for 

2 Black-led entities and efforts on maternal 

3 and mental health, birth, and reproductive 

4 justice; 

5 (v) to enhance community organizing 

6 on Black maternal health; and 

7 (vi) to support efforts to increase 

8 funding, and advance policies for Black-led 

9 and centered, community-based organiza10 tions, and perinatal birth workers that pro11 vide full spectrum reproductive, maternal, 

12 and sexual health care. 

Æ 


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