Title: Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and honoring mothers.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution (1) acknowledges the maternal health crisis in the United States; (2) supports action and investment by the federal government and others to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes, eliminate disparities in maternal health, and promote respectful and equitable maternity care practices; and (3) honors mothers who have passed away as a result of pregnancy-related causes.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 853 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 853

  Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the 
  importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and 
                           honoring mothers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2020

  Mr. McEachin (for himself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Pressley, Ms. 
  Underwood, Ms. Adams, Ms. Spanberger, and Ms. Wexton) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the 
  importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and 
                           honoring mothers.

Whereas the pregnancy-related mortality ratio, defined as the number of 
        pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births, more than doubled 
        between 1987 and 2016;
Whereas the United States is the only developed country whose maternal mortality 
        rate has increased over the last several decades;
Whereas of all pregnancy-related deaths between 2011 and 2015--

    (1) nearly 31 percent occurred during pregnancy;

    (2) about 36 percent occurred during childbirth or the week after 
childbirth; and

    (3) 33 percent occurred between 1 week and 1 year postpartum;

Whereas more than 60 percent of maternal deaths in the United States are 
        preventable;
Whereas, in 2014 alone, 50,000 women suffered from a ``near miss'' or severe 
        maternal morbidity, which includes potentially life-threatening 
        complications that arise from labor and childbirth;
Whereas 28 percent of women who gave birth in a hospital in the United States 
        reported experiencing 1 or more types of mistreatment, such as--

    (1) loss of autonomy;

    (2) being shouted at, scolded, or threatened; and

    (3) being ignored or refused or receiving no response to requests for 
help;

Whereas certain social determinants of health, including bias and racism, have a 
        negative impact on maternal health outcomes;
Whereas significant disparities in maternal health exist, including that--

    (1) Black women are more than 3 times as likely to die from a 
pregnancy-related cause as are White women;

    (2) American Indian and Alaska Native women are more than 2 times as 
likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause as are White women;

    (3) Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women with at least some 
college education are more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause 
than are women of all other racial and ethnic backgrounds with less than a 
high school diploma;

    (4) Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are about 2 times 
as likely to suffer from severe maternal morbidity as are White women;

    (5) women who live in rural areas have a greater likelihood of severe 
maternal morbidity and mortality compared to women who live in urban areas;

    (6) nearly 50 percent of rural counties do not have a hospital with 
obstetric services;

    (7) counties with more Black and Hispanic residents and lower median 
incomes are less likely to have access to hospital obstetric services;

    (8) more than 50 percent of women who live in a rural area must travel 
more than 30 minutes to access hospital obstetric services, compared to 7 
percent of women who live in urban areas; and

    (9) American Indian and Alaska Native women living in rural communities 
are twice as likely as their White counterparts to report receiving late or 
no prenatal care;

Whereas more than 40 States have designated committees to review maternal 
        deaths;
Whereas State and local maternal mortality review committees are positioned to 
        comprehensively assess maternal deaths and identify opportunities for 
        prevention;
Whereas more than 25 States are participating in the Alliance for Innovation on 
        Maternal Health, which promotes consistent and safe maternity care to 
        reduce maternal morbidity and mortality;
Whereas community-based maternal health care models, including midwifery 
        childbirth services, doula support services, community and perinatal 
        health worker services, and group prenatal care, in collaboration with 
        culturally competent physician care, show great promise in improving 
        maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities in maternal health 
        outcomes;
Whereas many organizations have implemented initiatives to educate patients and 
        providers about--

    (1) all causes of, contributing factors to, and disparities in maternal 
mortality;

    (2) the prevention of pregnancy-related deaths; and

    (3) the importance of listening to and empowering all women to report 
pregnancy-related medical issues;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this Resolution, 
        referred to as the ``CDC''), for the first time in over a decade, 
        released a report on January 30, 2020, assessing the United States 
        maternal mortality rate that--

    (1) found in 2018, the maternal mortality rate was 17.4 maternal deaths 
per 100,000 live births;

    (2) found the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 
more than double that of non-Hispanic White women at 37.1 deaths per 
100,000 live births compared to 14.7, and 3 times the rate of Hispanic 
women (11.8); and

    (3) while using a new standardized methodology to improve the accuracy 
of States reporting maternal deaths, still has potential methodological 
concerns with the reporting of maternal mortality data, such as the CDC 
report excluding mothers over the age of 44 and only accounting for deaths 
within 42 days of giving birth, potentially omitting later postpartum 
deaths; and

Whereas several States, communities, and organizations recognize January 23 as 
        ``Maternal Health Awareness Day'' to raise awareness about maternal 
        health and promote maternal safety: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the United States deeply troubling 
        maternal health crisis and supports expedited Federal action on 
        reducing the rates of maternal mortality in the United States, 
        including--
                    (A) raising public awareness about maternal 
                mortality, maternal morbidity, and disparities in 
                maternal health outcomes; and
                    (B) encouraging the Federal Government, States, 
                territories, Tribes, local communities, public health 
                organizations, physicians, health care providers, and 
                others to take action to reduce adverse maternal health 
                outcomes and improve maternal safety;
            (2) promotes initiatives--
                    (A) to address and eliminate disparities in 
                maternal health outcomes; and
                    (B) to ensure respectful and equitable maternity 
                care practices;
            (3) honors the mothers who have passed away as a result of 
        pregnancy-related causes;
            (4) supports collecting better data on maternal mortality 
        and morbidity; and
            (5) supports and recognizes the need for further 
        investments in efforts to improve maternal health, eliminate 
        disparities in maternal health outcomes, and promote respectful 
        and equitable maternity care practices.
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