Title: 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.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution recognizes National Midwifery Week and the contributions of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in providing sexual and reproductive health care services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1182 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1182

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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;
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 maternal-newborn 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 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the celebration of National Midwifery 
        Week;
            (2) recognizes 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;
            (3) thanks and promotes the profession of midwifery as 
        practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives; 
        and
            (4) encourages consumers, hospital administrators, health 
        care professionals, policymakers, and others to become more 
        familiar with the certified nurse-midwife and certified midwife 
        credential and the exceptional people who have earned it and 
        are currently studying to earn it by participating in National 
        Midwifery Week.
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