III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 647 

Recognizing the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2024, 

as the seventh annual ‘‘Black Maternal Health Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 17, 2024 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Ms. BUTLER, Mr. PADILLA, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. 

BALDWIN, Ms. WARREN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. WARNOCK, Mr. 

MERKLEY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SMITH, Mr. WELCH, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. BROWN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. WHITEHOUSE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

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 2 to 

3 times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes; 

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— 


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•SRES 647 IS 

(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 bodies; 

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; 


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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 healthcare 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 people in the United States, 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 that system does to Black women 

and birthing people by exposing— 

(1) increased barriers to accessing prenatal and 

postpartum care, including maternal mental health care; 

(2) a 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 

to be 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; 


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(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; 

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; 


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(2) continuous health insurance coverage to support 

Black women and birthing people for the full postpartum 

period up to 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; and 

Whereas Black Maternal Health Week was founded in 2018 

and led by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, inc. to bring 

national attention to the maternal and reproductive 

healthcare 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 Senate recognizes— 

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

3 Week’’; and 

4 (2) that— 

5 (A) Black women are experiencing high, 

6 disproportionate rates of maternal mortality 

7 and morbidity in the United States; 

8 (B) the alarmingly high rates of maternal 

9 mortality among Black women are unaccept10 able; 

11 (C) in order to better mitigate the effects 

12 of systemic and structural racism, Congress 

13 must work toward ensuring— 

14 (i) that the Black community has— 

15 (I) safe and affordable housing; 


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1 (II) transportation equity; 

2 (III) nutritious food; 

3 (IV) clean air and water; 

4 (V) environments free from tox5 ins; 

6 (VI) safety and freedom from vi7 olence; 

8 (VII) a living wage; 

9 (VIII) equal economic oppor10 tunity; 

11 (IX) a sustained and expansive 

12 workforce pipeline for diverse 

13 perinatal professionals; and 

14 (X) comprehensive, high-quality, 

15 and affordable health care with access 

16 to the full spectrum of reproductive 

17 care; and 

18 (ii) reform of the criminal justice and 

19 family regulation systems to decriminalize 

20 pregnancy, remove civil penalties, end sur21 veillance of families, and end mandatory 

22 reporting within the system; 

23 (D) in order to improve maternal health 

24 outcomes, Congress must fully support and en25 courage policies grounded in the human rights, 


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1 reproductive justice policies, and birth justice 

2 frameworks that address Black maternal health 

3 inequity; 

4 (E) Black women and birthing people must 

5 be active participants in the policy decisions 

6 that impact their lives; 

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

8 respectful maternal health care for Black birth9 ing people, Congress must pass the Black Ma10 ternal Health Momnibus Act; and 

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

12 opportunity to— 

13 (i) deepen the national conversation 

14 about Black maternal health in the United 

15 States; 

16 (ii) amplify and invest in community17 driven policy, research, and quality care so18 lutions; 

19 (iii) center the voices of Black mamas, 

20 women, families, and stakeholders; 

21 (iv) provide a national platform for 

22 Black-led entities and efforts that promote 

23 maternal and mental health, safe and 

24 healthy births, and reproductive justice; 


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1 (v) enhance community organizing on 

2 Black maternal health; and 

3 (vi) support efforts to increase fund4 ing for, and advance policies that assist, 

5 Black-led and centered community-based 

6 organizations and perinatal birth workers 

7 that provide full spectrum reproductive, 

8 maternal, and sexual healthcare. 

Æ 


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