HLS 25RS-1149 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 22
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Designates April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health
Week in Louisiana
1 A RESOLUTION
2To designate April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health Week in Louisiana.
3 WHEREAS, the wonders of pregnancy and childbirth can mark the beginning joys
4of motherhood, paving the way to a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment; while many
5women experience pregnancy and childbirth with few challenges, each year there are women
6who needlessly encounter short-term, long-term, and serious complications, some of which
7can tragically result in death; and
8 WHEREAS, compared to white women, black women are more likely to experience
9preventable maternal death; in 2020, the maternal mortality rate for black women was more
10than fifty-five deaths per one hundred thousand live births; according to the Centers for
11Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020, eight hundred sixty-one women died of maternal
12causes in the United States; in 2021, that number rose to one thousand two hundred five
13women who died of maternal causes in this country, as reported by the National Center for
14Health Statistics; this translates into more than thirty-three deaths per one hundred thousand
15live births nationally; and
16 WHEREAS, Louisiana ranks highest among the fifty states for its maternal mortality
17rate; according to the Louisiana Department of Health, black mothers are four times more
18likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than their white counterparts; the alarming rate
19of black maternal mortality in this state can be attributed to several factors including implicit
20and systemic bias, socioeconomic status, lack of access to quality health care, and
21insufficient health coverage; and
Page 1 of 2 HLS 25RS-1149 ORIGINAL
HR NO. 22
1 WHEREAS, experiencing pregnancy and childbirth should not be a death sentence
2for any woman because of her station in life; reducing the number of preventable maternal
3deaths and addressing health disparities among women should be a top priority of this state;
4it can be shown that improving health outcomes for pregnancy and childbirth not only
5increases the survival rate of mothers but allows them to raise their own children thereby
6benefitting the state as a whole; and
7 WHEREAS, it is essential to support every woman who experiences pregnancy and
8childbirth; it is vital for healthcare providers to identify the signs of maternal complications
9and diagnose them promptly and accurately, ensuring that the appropriate treatment is
10rendered; and
11 WHEREAS, enhancing healthcare accessibility through the expansion of telehealth
12services, midwives, and doulas to foster healthy pregnancies has yielded positive outcomes
13in the community; and
14 WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week is dedicated to building awareness,
15activism, and community and is recognized every year, from April 11-17, as part of the
16observation of National Minority Health Month in April; and
17 WHEREAS, to increase awareness of maternal and infant health outcomes black
18women endure, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., launched its initiative and essential
19program, Project CRADLE Care, and has joined forces with many other organizations to
20highlight and recognize Black Maternal Health Week.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
22Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health
23Week in Louisiana and does hereby encourage all Louisianians to support initiatives that
24seek to improve maternal healthcare, especially for black mothers throughout the state.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 22 Original 2025 Regular Session Carpenter
Designates April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health Week in La.
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