III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 32
Designating January 23, 2025, as ‘‘Maternal Health Awareness Day’’.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY23, 2025
Mr. B
OOKER(for himself, Mrs. BRITT, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. WELCH, Mr.
H
ICKENLOOPER, Mr. LUJA´N, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. VANHOLLEN) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Designating January 23, 2025, as ‘‘Maternal Health
Awareness Day’’.
Whereas each year in the United States, approximately 800
women die as a result of complications related to preg-
nancy and childbirth;
Whereas the pregnancy-related mortality ratio, defined as the
number of pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live
births, more than quadrupled in the United States be-
tween 1987 and 2021;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Maternal Mortality
Estimation Inter-Agency Group, the United States is one
of the only countries in the world with a significant per-
centage increase in the maternal mortality in 2020;
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2
•SRES 32 IS
Whereas, of all pregnancy-related deaths that occurred in the
United States in 2020—
(1) approximately 25.7 percent occurred during
pregnancy;
(2) approximately 11.1 percent occurred during
childbirth;
(3) approximately 16.2 percent occurred 1 to 6 days
postpartum;
(4) approximately 20.2 percent occurred 7 to 42
days postpartum; and
(5) approximately 26.9 percent occurred between 43
days and 1 year postpartum.
Whereas 83.5 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the
United States are considered preventable;
Whereas, each year, as many as 60,000 women in the United
States suffer from a severe maternal morbidity, which in-
cludes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that
can result in significant short- and long-term health con-
sequences;
Whereas, approximately 20 percent of mothers who give birth
in the United States report experiencing mistreatment;
Whereas postpartum depression affects a significant percent-
age of new mothers who give birth, with estimates rang-
ing from 10 to 20 percent of mothers who give birth ex-
periencing depressive symptoms during the first year
after childbirth, but many postpartum depression cases
go undiagnosed and untreated, often due to a lack of
screening;
Whereas various social and systemic factors can influence
maternal health outcomes and contribute to disparities in
care;
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3
•SRES 32 IS
Whereas significant disparities in maternal health outcomes
exist in the United States, including that—
(1) the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for Black
women is nearly 3 times higher than that of White
women;
(2) the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for Amer-
ican Indian and Alaska Native women is more than twice
as high as White women;
(3) the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for Black,
American Indian, and Alaska Native women with at least
some college education is higher compared to women of
all other racial and ethnic backgrounds with less than a
high school diploma;
(4) the rate of severe maternal morbidity for Black
and Asian-Pacific Islander women is approximately twice
as high as the rate for White women;
(5) women who live in rural areas have a greater
rate of severe maternal morbidity and mortality com-
pared to women who live in urban areas;
(6) 59 percent of rural counties are considered a
maternity care desert;
(7) rural counties with more Black and Hispanic
residents and lower median incomes are less likely to
have access to hospital obstetric services;
(8) the average travel distance for maternity care
deserts and rural counties is 28.1 and 17.3 miles, respec-
tively; and
(9) American Indian and Alaska Native women liv-
ing in rural communities are more than twice as likely as
their White counterparts to report receiving late or no
prenatal care;
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4
•SRES 32 IS
Whereas 47 States and the District of Columbia have adopt-
ed the option to extend coverage for postpartum care
under Medicaid to 12 months;
Whereas 49 States, the District of Columbia, New York City,
Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico each have a formal mater-
nal mortality review committee or legal requirement to
review pregnancy-related deaths;
Whereas State and local maternal mortality review commit-
tees are positioned to comprehensively assess maternal
deaths and identify opportunities for prevention;
Whereas 49 States and the District of Columbia are partici-
pating in the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health,
which promotes consistent and safe maternity care to re-
duce maternal morbidity and mortality;
Whereas community-based maternal health care models, in-
cluding midwifery childbirth services, doula support serv-
ices, community and perinatal health worker services, and
group prenatal care, in collaboration with culturally com-
petent physician care, show great promise in improving
maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities in ma-
ternal health outcomes;
Whereas increasing the maternal health care workforce and
expanding telehealth services can help reduce the dispari-
ties in maternal health outcomes;
Whereas many organizations have implemented initiatives to
educate patients and providers about—
(1) all causes of, contributing factors to, and dis-
parities in maternal mortality;
(2) the prevention of pregnancy-related deaths; and
(3) the importance of listening to and empowering
all people to report pregnancy-related medical issues; and
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5
•SRES 32 IS
Whereas several States, communities, and organizations rec-
ognize January 23 as ‘‘Maternal Health Awareness Day’’
to raise awareness about maternal health and promote
maternal safety: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) designates January 23, 2025, as ‘‘Maternal 2
Health Awareness Day’’; 3
(2) supports the goals and ideals of Maternal 4
Health Awareness Day, including— 5
(A) raising public awareness about mater-6
nal mortality, maternal morbidity, and dispari-7
ties in maternal health outcomes; and 8
(B) encouraging the Federal Government, 9
States, territories, Tribes, local communities, 10
public health organizations, physicians, health 11
care providers, and others to take action to re-12
duce adverse maternal health outcomes and im-13
prove maternal safety; 14
(3) promotes initiatives— 15
(A) to address and eliminate disparities in 16
maternal health outcomes; and 17
(B) to ensure respectful and equitable ma-18
ternity care practices; 19
(4) honors those who have passed away as a re-20
sult of pregnancy-related causes; and 21
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 6
•SRES 32 IS
(5) supports and recognizes the need for mean-1
ingful investments in efforts to improve maternal 2
health, eliminate disparities in maternal health out-3
comes, and promote respectful and equitable mater-4
nity care practices. 5
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR32.IS SR32
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS