UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1470
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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Infant Mortality Task Force. 1
WHEREAS, the United States has the highest infant mortality and maternal 2
mortality rates out of any other high-income country and spends the most on health care; 3
and 4
WHEREAS, in the first year of life, almost 20,000 infants died in the United States, 5
including 321 in Kentucky in 2021; and 6
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7
the leading causes of infant mortality are birth defects, low birthweight and preterm birth, 8
maternal pregnancy complications, sudden infant death syndrome, and unintentional 9
injuries; and 10
WHEREAS, Kentucky's infant mortality rate was 6.15 deaths per 1,000 births in 11
2021 and preliminary data from the CDC show a decline to 5.77 in 2022; and 12
WHEREAS, the preterm birth rate in Kentucky was 12 percent per 1,000 births in 13
2021 and preliminary data from the CDC show a decline to 11.7 percent in 2022; and 14
WHEREAS, the infant mortality rate for black infants was 9.9 per 1,000 births 15
compared to 5.3 for white infants and 6.1 for Hispanic infants in 2020; and 16
WHEREAS, Kentucky's rate of maternal mortality is 38.4 per 100,000 births 17
compared to 23.5 for the United States in 2020; and 18
WHEREAS, Kentucky scores poorly on several measures for maternal vulnerability 19
including socioeconomic determinants, reproductive health care, mental health issues, 20
and substance abuse; and 21
WHEREAS, Kentucky has made several policy improvements including extended 22
Medicaid coverage for new mothers and increased access to prenatal care; and 23
WHEREAS, possible policy options to continue improvements and address the 24
racial gap in infant and maternal deaths may include expanding access to birthing centers 25
and providing Medicaid reimbursement for doulas; and 26
WHEREAS, listening to women's maternity experiences in Kentucky and exploring 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1470
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best practices in other states may provide additional policy recommendations; 1
NOW, THEREFORE, 2
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 3
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 4
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission shall establish the Infant 5
Mortality Task Force to review factors influencing infant mortality and make 6
recommendations to decrease the rate of infant mortality in the Commonwealth. 7
Section 2. The duties of the Infant Mortality Task Force shall include but are 8
not limited to: 9
(1) Reviewing research that examines the connections between a mother's health 10
before, during, and between pregnancies, as well as that of her child across the course of 11
the child's life; 12
(2) Reviewing comprehensive data on infant mortality deaths and pregnancy 13
complications, including data disaggregated by race, geography, and socioeconomic 14
status; 15
(3) Reviewing research and listening to women's maternity experiences to 16
identify best practices and effective interventions for improving the quality and safety of 17
maternity care and reducing infant mortality; and 18
(4) Making recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission, the 19
Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and any other relevant executive branch agency, 20
including but not limited to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Public Protection 21
Cabinet, the Cabinet for Economic Development, and the Education and Labor Cabinet, 22
to improve health care and social, economic, and environmental conditions that may 23
improve maternal health and decrease infant mortality. 24
Section 3. The Infant Mortality Task Force shall be composed of the following 25
members, with final membership of the task force being subject to the consideration and 26
approval of the Legislative Research Commission: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1470
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(1) Four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of 1
the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated by the Speaker of the 2
House of Representatives as a co-chair of the task force; and 3
(2) Four members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one of 4
whom shall be designated by the President of the Senate as a co-chair of the task force. 5
Section 4. The Infant Mortality Task Force shall meet monthly during the 2024 6
Interim of the General Assembly. The task force shall submit findings and 7
recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the appropriate 8
committee or committees by December 1, 2024. 9
Section 5. Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the 10
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 11
issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to 12
designate a study completion date. 13