IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1539 

Recognizing the roles and the contributions of United States certified nursemidwives and certified midwives in providing high-quality, evidence-based, 

and cost-effective health care services to women and childbearing families. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 8, 2024 

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Mrs. HINSON, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. 

CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Mr. EVANS, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Mr. SMITH of Washington, and Ms. KELLY of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the roles and the contributions of United States 

certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in providing high-quality, evidence-based, and cost-effective 

health care services to women and childbearing families. 

Whereas certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) are essential to the United States maternal 

health care system, providing a wide range of health care 

services for women and childbearing families, including 

the independent provision of primary care, gynecologic 

services, preconception care, care during pregnancy, 

childbirth and the postpartum period, and care of the uncomplicated newborn during the first 28 days of life; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 1539 IH 

Whereas CNMs and CMs care for women throughout their 

lifespan, from adolescence to postmenopause, and attend 

approximately 10 percent of the Nation’s births annually 

and serve as frontline essential health care providers; 

Whereas midwifery-led care is evidence-based and has been 

shown to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, rates 

of stillbirth, perineal trauma, instrumental births, 

intrapartum analgesia use, rates of severe blood loss, 

preterm birth, low birth weight, and neonatal hypothermia, and has been associated with more efficient use 

of resources and improved outcomes including increased 

rates of spontaneous labor, vaginal birth, and 

breastfeeding; 

Whereas women and childbearing families who receive midwifery-led care have higher rates of satisfaction, pain relief in labor, and supported maternal-newborn interaction; 

Whereas CNMs and CMs play an integral role in improving 

health outcomes in all communities; 

Whereas midwifery-led care is a significant source of maternal health services in rural, underserved and lowresourced and vulnerable communities, and CNMs and 

CMs attend over 30 percent of deliveries in rural hospitals; 

Whereas CNMs and CMs provide care in every setting in 

which maternal and women’s health care services are delivered, including hospitals, private office practices, public 

health departments, community health centers, rural 

health centers, the Armed Forces, the Veterans Health 

Administration, the Indian Health Service, freestanding 

birth centers, and in the home setting; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 1539 IH 

Whereas, since 1988, National Midwifery Week has been celebrated during the last week of September or the first 

week of October in order to raise public awareness of and 

celebrate the Nation’s more than 14,000 certified nursemidwives, certified midwives, and student midwives; and 

Whereas the celebration of National Midwifery Week 2024 is 

October 6 through October 12: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) acknowledges the celebration of National 

3 Midwifery Week; 

4 (2) recognizes the roles and the contributions of 

5 America’s certified nurse-midwives and certified 

6 midwives in providing high-quality, evidence-based, 

7 and cost-effective health care services to women and 

8 childbearing families; 

9 (3) thanks and promotes the profession of mid10 wifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and 

11 certified midwives; and 

12 (4) encourages consumers, hospital administra13 tors, health care professionals, health educators, pol14 icymakers, and others to become more familiar with 

15 the certified nurse-midwife and certified midwife cre16 dential and the exceptional people who have earned 

17 it and are currently studying to earn it by partici18 pating in National Midwifery Week. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS