--- title: HR 1595. Black Midwives Day in Georgia; March 14, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1595 cite_as: HR 1595, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1595 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1595.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1595/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73901 date: 2026-03-04 status: passed 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/hr1594.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1596.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1595.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1595 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Park Cannon - Rhonda Taylor - Sandra Scott - Kim Schofield - Sylvia Baker - Terry Cummings text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1595/2025 upstream_id: 2129471 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Black Midwives Day - maternal health - midwifery - Black maternal mortality - legislative resolutions --- # HR 1595. Black Midwives Day in Georgia; March 14, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1595 By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Taylor of the 92nd, Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd, Baker of the 64th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Black midwives fulfill an essential role and contribute to improving maternal health outcomes by addressing disparities and providing congruent care to Black birthing people; and WHEREAS, Black midwives fulfill an essential role and contribute to improving maternal health outcomes by addressing disparities and providing congruent care to Black birthing people; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, Black midwives have historically provided holistic community centered care yet have been systematically excluded from healthcare systems through restrictive policies and regulations; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, it is important to invest in midwifery to expand access to midwifery education and training and to ensure fair compensation and support for midwives; and WHEREAS, in order to facilitate optimal healthcare access, midwives should have no restrictions to practicing midwifery to the full extent and scope of their training; and WHEREAS, 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 WHEREAS, 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. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the National Black Midwives Alliance. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution recognizes March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia, honoring the role of Black midwives in maternal and infant health. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives designates March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia. It does not change any law or create new programs or funding. Instead, it states the House's recognition of Black midwives' historical and ongoing contributions to maternal health, particularly in addressing higher rates of maternal illness and death among Black birthing people. The resolution's whereas clauses describe maternal health disparities, maternity care deserts, and the benefits of integrating midwives into care systems. It calls for expanding access to midwifery education, training, and full scope-of-practice recognition, though the resolution itself does not enact any of these policy changes. The Clerk of the House is directed to send a copy of the resolution to the National Black Midwives Alliance. ### What it does - Formally designates March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia through a House resolution. - States the House's recognition of Black midwives' contributions to maternal and infant health outcomes. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the National Black Midwives Alliance. - Does not create any new law, funding, licensing change, or enforcement mechanism; it is a symbolic recognition only. ### Who it affects Black midwives and midwifery organizations, particularly the National Black Midwives Alliance, which will receive a copy of the resolution. It also touches Black birthing people and maternal health advocates whose experiences are described in the resolution's text. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal force, it publicly acknowledges disparities in Black maternal health outcomes and the role midwives play in addressing them, potentially raising awareness and signaling legislative attention to midwifery access issues in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes March 14, 2026, as Black Midwives Day in Georgia. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to the National Black Midwives Alliance. - The whereas clauses, while not legally operative, describe maternal health disparities and call attention to expanding midwifery education, training, and scope-of-practice recognition. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Park Cannon, Rhonda Taylor, Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Sylvia Baker, Terry Cummings - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73901 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1595.md?full=1