--- title: HB 1481. National Black Midwives Day in Georgia; March 14 of each year; designate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1481 cite_as: HB 1481, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1481 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1481.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1481/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73764 date: 2026-03-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1480.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1482.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1481.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1481 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-26 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Park Cannon - Debra Bazemore - Tanya Miller - El-Mahdi Holly text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1481/2025 upstream_id: 2125936 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - maternal health - midwifery - state observances - Black maternal health - public health --- # HB 1481. National Black Midwives Day in Georgia; March 14 of each year; designate ## Text House Bill 1481 By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Bazemore of the 69th, Miller of the 62nd, and Holly of the 116th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, so as to designate Black Midwives Day in Georgia; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds that: (1) Black midwives fulfill an essential role and contribute to improving maternal health outcomes by addressing disparities and providing congruent care to Black birthing people; (2) The Black Midwives Day campaign was founded in 2023 by the National Black Midwives Alliance to designate March 14 as a day of awareness, education, advocacy, and community engagement to uplift the legacy and ongoing work of Black midwives; (3) Black maternal health in the United States remains in crisis, with Black birthing people experiencing significantly higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality regardless of income, education, or socioeconomic status; (4) Many cities and counties in the United States face a high number of maternity care deserts, where women of childbearing age do not have access to hospitals or birth centers offering maternity care or obstetric providers, which leads to higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, as most complications occur in the postpartum period when birthing people are far away from their providers; (5) Integrating midwives into the maternity care system has been shown to improve birth outcomes, reduce medical interventions, and decrease the racial disparities in maternal and infant health; (6) Midwives can assist birthing people and their families with safe and effective childbirth options, and promulgating midwifery promotes access to safe and effective antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care; (7) Black midwives have historically provided holistic community centered care yet have been systematically excluded from healthcare systems through restrictive policies and regulations; (8) The resurgence of Black midwifery is a testament to midwives' resilience and their commitment to reclaiming traditional birthing practices that prioritize respect, autonomy, and positive health outcomes; (9) It is important to invest in midwifery to expand access to midwifery education and training and to ensure fair compensation and support for midwives; (10) In order to facilitate optimal healthcare access, midwives should have no restrictions to practicing midwifery to the full extent and scope of their training; (11) In order to promote the restoration of Black midwives to their communities, all educational and certification pathways should be open, available, and funded to build the workforce of midwives; and (12) Observing Black Midwives Day creates an opportunity to support and recognize the long-standing and invaluable contributions of Black midwives to maternal and infant health in the United States. SECTION 2. Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "1-4-28. March 14 of each year is designated as 'National Black Midwives Day' in Georgia." SECTION 3. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House bill would officially designate March 14 of each year as National Black Midwives Day, recognizing the role of Black midwives in maternal health care. ### Plain-language summary This bill adds a new section to Georgia's law on state holidays and observances (O.C.G.A. Chapter 4 of Title 1) to designate March 14 as National Black Midwives Day. The bill includes a lengthy set of legislative findings describing the history and contributions of Black midwives, disparities in Black maternal health outcomes, and the role midwives play in improving birth outcomes and expanding access to care in areas without enough maternity providers. The operative change is short: it creates a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 1-4-28, stating that March 14 of each year is designated as National Black Midwives Day in Georgia. The bill does not create new funding, licensing rules, or legal requirements; it is a symbolic observance day added to state law. It also repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 1-4-28, designating March 14 of each year as National Black Midwives Day in Georgia. - States legislative findings on Black maternal health disparities, maternity care deserts, and the historical role of Black midwives. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with the new designation. ### Who it affects The designation primarily affects public recognition and awareness rather than any regulated group directly. It touches Black midwives and midwifery advocates, maternal health organizations, and Georgians interested in maternal and infant health, since the bill highlights disparities in Black maternal health outcomes. ### Why it matters The bill would give Black midwives and their historical contributions to maternal health an official day of recognition in Georgia law. It does not change licensing, funding, or scope-of-practice rules for midwives, so its practical effect is limited to symbolic observance and public awareness. ### Key provisions - Section 1 lists legislative findings on Black maternal health disparities, maternity care deserts, and the history and role of Black midwives. - Section 2 amends Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by adding new Code section 1-4-28, designating March 14 as National Black Midwives Day. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-26) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Park Cannon, Debra Bazemore, Tanya Miller, El-Mahdi Holly - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73764 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1481.md?full=1