IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1182 

Recognizing the roles and the contributions of America’s certified nursemidwives and certified midwives in providing high-quality, evidence-based, 

cost-effective, and essential sexual and reproductive health care services 

to women and pregnant people. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 6, 2020 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the roles and the contributions of America’s 

certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in providing high-quality, evidence-based, cost-effective, and essential sexual and reproductive health care services to 

women and pregnant people. 

Whereas certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) are essential to America’s maternal health 

care system, providing a wide range of sexual and reproductive health care services for people, including the independent provision of primary care, gynecologic and contraceptive services, preconception care, care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, and care of 

the normal newborn during the first 28 days of life; 


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•HRES 1182 IH 

Whereas CNMs and CMs care for people throughout their 

lifespan, from adolescence to beyond menopause, and attend approximately 10 percent of our Nation’s births annually and serve as frontline essential health care providers during the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas midwives and 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 furthermore been associated with 

more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes 

including increased rates of spontaneous labor, vaginal 

birth, and breastfeeding; 

Whereas women and pregnant people who receive midwifery 

care have higher rates of satisfaction with their midwifery-led health care, pain relief in labor, and maternalnewborn interaction; 

Whereas CNMs and CMs play an integral role in improving 

health outcomes for all women, pregnant people, and 

newborns in their communities; 

Whereas midwifery care is associated with decreased pregnancy-related racial and ethnic health disparities and the 

profession of midwifery in the African-American community has a rich history dating back centuries; 

Whereas Black, indigenous, and people of color CNMs and 

CMs play an integral role in improving health outcomes 

for women, pregnant people, and newborns in their communities; 

Whereas midwifery is a significant source of maternal health 

services in rural, underserved, and low-resource urban 


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•HRES 1182 IH 

areas, and CNMs and CMs attend over 30 percent of deliveries in rural hospitals; 

Whereas CNMs and CMs provide care in every setting in 

which sexual and reproductive health care services are delivered, including hospitals, private office practices, public 

health departments, community health centers, the 

Armed Forces, the Veterans Health Administration, the 

Indian Health Service, freestanding birth centers, and in 

the home setting; 

Whereas 2020 has been designated by the World Health Organization as the International Year of the Nurse and 

the Midwife; 

Whereas, in 1982, Congress passed a resolution designating 

April 19 through 26 as the first National Nurse-Midwifery Week, and the week continued to be observed in 

April until 1986 when the observance moved to November 2 through 8; 

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 13,000 certified nurse-midwives, 

certified midwives, and student midwives; and 

Whereas the celebration of National Midwifery Week 2020 is 

October 4 through October 10: 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, 


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•HRES 1182 IH 

1 cost-effective, and essential sexual and reproductive 

2 health care services to women and pregnant people; 

3 (3) thanks and promotes the profession of mid4 wifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and 

5 certified midwives; and 

6 (4) encourages consumers, hospital administra7 tors, health care professionals, policymakers, and 

8 others to become more familiar with the certified 

9 nurse-midwife and certified midwife credential and 

10 the exceptional people who have earned it and are 

11 currently studying to earn it by participating in Na12 tional Midwifery Week. 

Æ 


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