SR544: SR544 Black Maternal Health Week; recognize April 11-17, 2025

This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it formally recognizes April 11-17, 2025 as Black Maternal Health Week, a national observance started by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to highlight maternal and reproductive health disparities affecting Black women. The resolution cites statistics on maternal mortality, including that Black women nationally are two to three times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes, and that Georgia's maternal mortality rate is 32.1 deaths per 100,000 live births. It also notes barriers such as maternity care deserts and licensure obstacles faced by Black midwives and doulas. The Senate directs its Secretary to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

• Formally recognizes April 11-17, 2025 as Black Maternal Health Week in the Georgia Senate.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press.
• Does not create any new law, funding, program, or penalty; it is a symbolic statement by the Senate.

The resolution primarily concerns Black women and birthing persons in Georgia and nationally, along with maternal health advocates, midwives, doulas, and community organizations working on maternal health, though it creates no binding obligations for any group.

While the resolution changes no laws or funding, it puts the Georgia Senate on record acknowledging racial disparities in maternal mortality and health care access, which may raise public awareness and support ongoing policy discussions about maternal health in the state.

• The resolution's whereas clauses cite CDC data showing Black women are two to three times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes.
• It states Georgia's maternal mortality rate is 32.1 deaths per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality rate is 7.1 per 1,000 live births.
• It notes Georgia has the highest Caesarean section rate in the country at 35.8 percent of live births, with Black infants at 38.1 percent.
• The resolving clause designates April 11-17, 2025 as Black Maternal Health Week.
• A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

1. 2025-04-04Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-04-02Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)Primary sponsor
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)

• maternal health
• Black maternal health week
• health disparities
• women's health
• Georgia Senate resolution