--- title: HR 1744. Black Maternal Heath Week; April 11-17, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1744 cite_as: HR 1744, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1744 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1744.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1744/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74161 date: 2026-03-16 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/hr1743.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1745.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1744.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1744 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-16 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jasmine Clark - Park Cannon - Carolyn Hugley - Tanya Miller - Stacey Evans - Dar'shun Kendrick text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1744/2025 upstream_id: 2134524 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - maternal health - Black maternal mortality - health disparities - reproductive health - Georgia legislature resolutions --- # HR 1744. Black Maternal Heath Week; April 11-17, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1744 By: Representatives Clark of the 108th, Cannon of the 58th, Hugley of the 141st, Miller of the 62nd, Evans of the 57th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week was founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc., to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons; and WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are two to three times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes; and WHEREAS, Black women and individuals living in low-income and rural communities in the United States are among those most likely to suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, known as maternal morbidities; and WHEREAS, maternal mortality rates in the United States are among the highest in the developed world, with 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020; 32.9 in 2021; 22.3 in 2022; and 18.6 in 2023; and WHEREAS, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent countries, in part because of the disproportionate mortality rate of Black women; and WHEREAS, according to the 2025 CDC Report, in 2023 the United States maternal mortality rate decreased rate for White (14.5), Hispanic (12.4), and Asian (10.7) women but increased to 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women; and WHEREAS, as of 2023, the maternal mortality rate in Georgia is 30.4 per 100,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births; and WHEREAS, according to the Georgia Department of Health, 87 percent of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable; and WHEREAS, Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other women to give birth to premature, low birthweight, and very low birthweight infants; and WHEREAS, the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women persist across all income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic statuses; and WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; and WHEREAS, the leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing persons include eclampsia, preeclampsia, postpartum cardiomyopathy, and obstetric embolism, all of which disproportionately impact Black women and birthing people; and WHEREAS, 34.9 percent of live births in Georgia are delivered via Cesarean section, with Black infant Cesarean births reaching 38.0 percent from 2022-2024; and WHEREAS, structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of health inequities experienced by Black women in the United States significantly contribute to the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women; and WHEREAS, racism and discrimination play a consequential role in maternal health care experiences and the outcomes of Black birthing people; and WHEREAS, the overturning of Roe v. Wade impacts Black women and birthing people's right to reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy and further perpetuates reproductive oppression as a tool to control women's bodies; and WHEREAS, a fair and wide distribution of resources and birth options, especially with regard to reproductive health care services and maternal health programming, are critical to addressing inequities in maternal health outcomes; and WHEREAS, states and rural counties with higher Black population rates experience severe maternity care deserts, where hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care and obstetric providers are lacking, and access to reproductive health care providers is further diminished due to low Medicaid reimbursements, rising costs, and persistent health care workforce shortages; and WHEREAS, Georgia counties face higher rates of maternity care deserts at 36 percent compared to the national average of 32.6 percent, where women of childbearing age do not have access to hospitals or birth centers offering maternity care or obstetric providers; and WHEREAS, maternity care deserts lead to higher risks of maternal morbidity and mortality, as most complications occur in the postpartum period when birthing people are far from their providers; and WHEREAS, Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers, and community-based organizations provide holistic maternal care and support but face structural and legal barriers to licensure, reimbursement, and the provision of care; and WHEREAS, Black women and birthing persons experience increased barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care, including maternal mental health care; and WHEREAS, there are concerted efforts to increase uptake of maternal vaccinations; and WHEREAS, even as there is growing concern about improving access to mental health services, Black women are the least likely to have access to mental health screenings, treatment, and support before, during, and after pregnancy; and WHEREAS, Black pregnant and postpartum workers are disproportionately denied reasonable accommodations in the workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes; and WHEREAS, Black pregnant people disproportionately experience surveillance and punishment, including shackling incarcerated people during labor, drug testing mothers and infants without informed consent, separating mothers from their newborns, and criminalizing pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage; and WHEREAS, Black women and birthing people experience pervasive racial injustice in the criminal justice, social, and health care systems; and WHEREAS, justice-informed, culturally congruent models of care are beneficial to Black women; and WHEREAS, investments should be made in maternity care for Black women and birthing persons, including care led by the communities most affected by the maternal health crisis in the State of Georgia; continuous health insurance coverage to support Black women and birthing persons for the full postpartum period at least one year after giving birth; and policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive, and holistic maternal health care that is free from gender and racial discrimination, regardless of incarceration. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week, drawing attention to racial disparities in maternal death rates in Georgia and the United States. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally recognizes April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week, a week originally created by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to highlight the maternal health crisis facing Black women and birthing people. The resolution cites statistics showing Black women in the United States and Georgia die from pregnancy-related causes at much higher rates than White, Hispanic, and Asian women, and it points to factors like maternity care deserts, barriers to midwives and doulas, and gaps in mental health care access. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available to the public and the press. It has no funding, enforcement, or regulatory provisions; it is a statement of recognition and concern rather than a change to any Georgia statute. ### What it does - Formally designates April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week in Georgia. - States findings on maternal mortality rates, citing Georgia's 2023 rate of 30.4 deaths per 100,000 live births. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. - Creates no new funding, program, or legal requirement; it is a nonbinding statement by the House. ### Who it affects The resolution speaks to Black women and birthing people across Georgia, along with maternal health care providers, midwives, doulas, hospitals, and state health agencies like the Georgia Department of Health, whose data it cites on maternal and infant mortality. ### Why it matters While the resolution does not change any law or fund any program, it puts the Georgia House of Representatives on record acknowledging racial disparities in maternal death rates and highlighting gaps such as maternity care deserts and limited access to midwives, doulas, and mental health care in the state. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week. - A series of whereas clauses cite CDC and Georgia Department of Health statistics on maternal mortality, including a Georgia rate of 30.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023. - The resolution notes that 87 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia were found to be preventable and that Georgia's maternity care desert rate is 36 percent, above the national average of 32.6 percent. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available for public and press distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-16) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-16) - Sponsors: Jasmine Clark, Park Cannon, Carolyn Hugley, Tanya Miller, Stacey Evans, Dar'shun Kendrick - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74161 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1744.md?full=1