Pennsylvania HR 117: A Resolution recognizing March 14, 2025, as "Black Midwives Day" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 955 PRINTER'S NO. 1116
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 117
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MAYES, CURRY, CEPHAS, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS,
WAXMAN, MADDEN, VENKAT, KHAN, KENYATTA, KAZEEM, N. NELSON,
D. MILLER, ABNEY, RIVERA, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ, GREEN,
O'MARA, BOYD, CERRATO AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MARCH 13, 2025
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON RULES, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 24, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing March 14, 2025, 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 14, 2025, 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 2023, 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;
and
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WHEREAS, In 2020, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for
Black women in this Commonwealth was almost three times greater
than the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for White women; and
WHEREAS, High rates of maternal mortality among Black women
are consistent among socioeconomic statuses and education
levels; and
WHEREAS, Maternal ACCORDING TO THE 2024 PENNSYLVANIA MATERNAL
MORTALITY REVIEW ANNUAL REPORT, MATERNAL morbidities have
devastating effects for families and communities, and 93.5% of
pregnancy-related maternal deaths that occurred in this
Commonwealth in 2020 were deemed preventable; and
WHEREAS, A lack of access to quality, affordable health care
and postpartum care, delays in the recognition of risks and
complications associated with pregnancy, systemic discrimination
and implicit bias contribute to the high mortality rate among
Black women; 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 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, Black women are more likely to experience
mistreatment by health care providers, such as being ignored or
denied care in a reasonable amount of time; 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, enhances
maternal satisfaction with the pregnancy, 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
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midwives for culturally sensitive and congruent care; and
WHEREAS, A lack of affordable training opportunities,
financial barriers, State laws and variances in insurance
coverage currently limit the capacity to practice midwifery,
especially Black midwifery, in hospitals and birth centers; and
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