Pennsylvania HR 450: A Resolution recognizing March 31, 2026, as "Black Midwives Day" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3048
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 450
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY MAYES, M. BROWN, VENKAT, ABNEY, PROBST, HANBIDGE,
HILL-EVANS, STEELE, WAXMAN, CURRY, OTTEN, KAZEEM, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, GUZMAN, HOHENSTEIN, KHAN, McANDREW, SHUSTERMAN,
GREEN, PIELLI, O'MARA, McNEILL, FLEMING, BOROWSKI, DALEY,
CEPHAS AND RIVERA, MARCH 19, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MARCH 23, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing March 31, 2026, as "Black Midwives Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Black midwives have made longstanding and invaluable
contributions to maternal and infant health in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing March 31, 2026, as "Black Midwives Day"
amplifies the significance of midwifery in achieving better
maternal health outcomes by creating greater access to high-
quality maternal health care, especially in maternal health
deserts; and
WHEREAS, The "Black Midwives Day" campaign, founded and led
by the National Black Midwives Alliance in 2022, recognized
nationally on March 14, 2026, is a day of awareness, activism,
celebration, education, advocacy and historical preservation;
and
WHEREAS, "Black Midwives Day" is an opportunity to
acknowledge the fight to end maternal mortality in Pennsylvania;
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and
WHEREAS, In 2021, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for
non-Hispanic Black women in this Commonwealth was 60 deaths per
100,000 live births, more than twice as high as the pregnancy-
related mortality ratio of 28 deaths per 100,000 live births for
non-Hispanic White women; and
WHEREAS, Research shows that Black women are more likely to
experience increased maternal mortality if they are educated and
have a higher socioeconomic status, the reverse of conventional
belief; and
WHEREAS, According to the 2025 Pennsylvania Maternal
Mortality Review Annual Report, maternal morbidities have
devastating effects for families and communities, and 98% of
pregnancy-related maternal deaths that occurred in this
Commonwealth in 2021 were deemed preventable, an increase from
93.5% preventable deaths in 2020; and
WHEREAS, According to the Journal of Women's Health and the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a lack of access to
quality, affordable health care and postpartum care, delays in
the recognition of risks and complications and denial of
adequate care associated with pregnancy, systemic discrimination
and implicit bias, including ignoring patient concerns in health
care, contribute to the high mortality rate among Black women;
and
WHEREAS, Black communities and rural communities are also
among those most affected by maternity care deserts, where there
is a lack of maternity health care resources and no hospitals,
birth centers or providers offering obstetric care; and
WHEREAS, Other pregnancy complications, including chronic
heart disease, hypertension, preeclampsia, hemorrhage and
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diabetes, also disproportionately affect Black women; and
WHEREAS, The practice of midwifery is built upon a
relationship-centered approach between the midwife and the
pregnant woman, with an emphasis on the pregnant woman's
autonomy; and
WHEREAS, Increasing the number of Black midwives in the
workforce is critical to addressing maternal health disparities,
as Black midwives offer care that builds trust, reduces trauma,
enhances maternal satisfaction with the pregnancy experience,
birthing and postpartum experience and improves health outcomes
for Black mothers and their babies; and
WHEREAS, Midwifery-led care has been shown to result in cost
savings, reduced medical interventions, lower cesarean rates,
decreased preterm births and improved health outcomes for both
mothers and babies; and
WHEREAS, Midwives are trained to provide obstetric and
gynecological care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum;
and
WHEREAS, Midwives may provide essential maternal health care
services in a variety of settings in hospitals, clinics, birth
centers, homes or community-based settings, ensuring
accessibility and continuity of care; and
WHEREAS, Black maternity care deserts lead to higher risks of
maternal morbidity and mortality as most complications occur in
the postpartum period when pregnant women are far away from
their health care providers; and
WHEREAS, Black communities benefit from access to Black
midwives for culturally sensitive and congruent care; and
WHEREAS, A lack of affordable training opportunities,
financial barriers, State laws and variances in insurance
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coverage currently limit the capacity to practice midwifery,
especially Black midwifery, in hospitals and birth centers; and
WHEREAS, Greater levels of integration of midwives across
health care settings are associated with significantly higher
rates of physiologic birth, less obstetric inter