Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SR0119 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
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4	4	SENATE RESOLUTION 119
5	5	By Lamar
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8	8	SR0119
9	9	006549
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12	12	A RESOLUTION to recognize the week of April 11 through April
13	13	17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health Week.
14	14
15	15	WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week was founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance,
16	16	Inc., to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United
17	17	States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women
18	18	and birthing persons; and
19	19	WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black
20	20	women in the United States are two to three times more likely than White women to die from
21	21	pregnancy-related causes; and
22	22	WHEREAS, Black women and people living in low-income and rural communities in the
23	23	United States are the most likely to suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, known
24	24	as "maternal morbidities"; and
25	25	WHEREAS, maternal mortality rates in the United States are among the highest in the
26	26	developed world, with 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, 32.9 in 2021, 22.3 in 2022,
27	27	and 18.6 in 2023; and
28	28	WHEREAS, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent
29	29	countries, in part because of the disproportionate mortality rate of Black women; and
30	30	WHEREAS, according to the 2025 CDC Report, in 2023, the U.S. maternal mortality rate
31	31	decreased for White (14.5), Hispanic (12.4), and Asian (10.7) women but increased to 50.3
32	32	deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women; and
33	33	WHEREAS, Black women are fifty percent more likely than all other women to give birth
34	34	to premature, low birthweight, and very low birthweight infants; and
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39	39	WHEREAS, the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across
40	40	income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic status; and
41	41	WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more than
42	42	eighty percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; and
43	43	WHEREAS, the leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing
44	44	persons include eclampsia, preeclampsia, postpartum cardiomyopathy, and obstetric embolism,
45	45	and these conditions impact Black women and birthing people disproportionately; and
46	46	WHEREAS, structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of health
47	47	inequities experienced by Black women in the United States significantly contribute to the
48	48	disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women; and
49	49	WHEREAS, racism and discrimination play a consequential role in maternal healthcare
50	50	experiences and outcomes of Black birthing people; and
51	51	WHEREAS, the overturn of Roe v. Wade impacts Black women's and birthing people's
52	52	right to reproductive health care and bodily autonomy and further perpetuates reproductive
53	53	oppression as a tool to control women's bodies; and
54	54	WHEREAS, a fair and wide distribution of resources and birth options, especially with
55	55	regard to reproductive healthcare services and maternal health programming, is critical to
56	56	addressing inequities in maternal health outcomes; and
57	57	WHEREAS, states and rural counties with higher Black population rates have severe
58	58	maternity care deserts, where there are no hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care nor
59	59	any obstetric providers, and there is diminished access to reproductive healthcare providers due
60	60	to low Medicaid reimbursements, rising costs, and persistent healthcare workforce shortages;
61	61	and
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66	66	WHEREAS, maternity care deserts lead to higher risks of maternal morbidity and
67	67	mortality, as most complications occur in the postpartum period when birthing people are far
68	68	away from their providers; and
69	69	WHEREAS, Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers, and community-based
70	70	organizations provide holistic maternal care and support but face structural and legal barriers to
71	71	licensure, reimbursement, and provision of care; and
72	72	WHEREAS, Black women and birthing persons experience increased barriers to
73	73	accessing prenatal and postpartum care, including maternal mental health care; and
74	74	WHEREAS, even as there is growing concern about improving access to mental health
75	75	services, Black women are least likely to have access to mental health screenings, treatment,
76	76	and support before, during, and after pregnancy; and
77	77	WHEREAS, Black pregnant and postpartum workers are disproportionately denied
78	78	reasonable accommodations in the workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes; and
79	79	WHEREAS, Black pregnant people disproportionately experience surveillance and
80	80	punishment, including shackling incarcerated people during labor, drug testing mothers and
81	81	infants without informed consent, separating mothers from their newborns, and criminalizing
82	82	pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage; and
83	83	WHEREAS, Black women and birthing people experience pervasive racial injustice in
84	84	the criminal justice, social, and healthcare systems; and
85	85	WHEREAS, justice-informed, culturally congruent models of care are beneficial to Black
86	86	women; and
87	87	WHEREAS, an investment must be made in:
88	88	(1) Maternity care for Black women and birthing persons, including care led by the
89	89	communities most affected by the maternal health crisis;
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94	94	(2) Continuous health insurance coverage to support Black women and birthing persons
95	95	for the full postpartum period at least one year after giving birth; and
96	96	(3) Policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive, and holistic maternal
97	97	health care that is free from gender and racial discrimination, regardless of incarceration;
98	98	now, therefore,
99	99	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
100	100	GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, that we recognize the week of April
101	101	11 through April 17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health Week to underscore the importance of
102	102	reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women.
103	103	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we recognize:
104	104	(1) Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and
105	105	morbidity;
106	106	(2) The alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality among Black women are
107	107	unacceptable and unjust;
108	108	(3) In order to better mitigate the effects of systemic and structural racism, we must
109	109	work toward ensuring that the Black community has:
110	110	(A) Safe and affordable housing;
111	111	(B) Transportation equity;
112	112	(C) Nutritious food;
113	113	(D) Clean air and water;
114	114	(E) Environments free from toxins;
115	115	(F) Decriminalization, removal of civil penalties, end of surveillance, and end of
116	116	mandatory reporting within the criminal justice and family regulation system;
117	117	(G) Safety and freedom from violence;
118	118	(H) A living wage;
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123	123	(I) Equal economic opportunity;
124	124	(J) A sustained and expansive workforce pipeline for diverse perinatal
125	125	professionals; and
126	126	(K) Comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable health care, including access to
127	127	the full spectrum of reproductive care;
128	128	(4) In order to improve maternal health outcomes, we must fully support and encourage
129	129	policies grounded in the human rights, reproductive justice, and birth justice frameworks
130	130	that address maternal health inequities;
131	131	(5) Black women and birthing persons must be active participants in the policy decisions
132	132	that impact their lives;
133	133	(6) In order to ensure access to safe and respectful maternal health care for Black
134	134	birthing people, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act must be passed, as well as
135	135	other legislation rooted in human rights that seeks to improve maternal care and
136	136	outcomes; and
137	137	(7) Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to:
138	138	(A) Deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the United
139	139	States;
140	140	(B) Amplify and invest in community-driven policy, research, and quality care
141	141	solutions;
142	142	(C) Center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders;
143	143	(D) Provide a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts addressing
144	144	maternal and mental health, birth equity, and reproductive justice;
145	145	(E) Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health; and
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150	150	(F) Support efforts to increase funding and advance policies for Black-led and -
151	151	centered community-based organizations and perinatal birth workers that provide
152	152	the full spectrum of reproductive, maternal, and sexual health care.
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